Retribution
by trinchardin
Summary: There's a new assassin in town...
1. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: I don't own Weib or the hot guys in it...though i wouldn't mind owning a certain redheaded, katana-weilding assassin. Neither do I own familiar X-men characters. But, Nemo/Anya Malenkov/Kasumi Minamoto belongs to me.  
  
Characters:  
Japan:  
Weib, assassin group out to rid Japan of its scum -  
Aya Fujimaya, aka Abyssinian - sword-weilding redhead  
Youji Kudou, aka Balinese - wire-handling blonde with green eyes  
Ken Hidaka, aka Siberian - tiger-claw user with brown hair and eyes  
Omi Tsukiyono, aka Bombay - arrows/bow gun/darts user with blonde hair and blue eyes  
Persia - leader of Weib  
Birman - Persia's secretary  
Tanya Chekov, aka Anya Malenkov and Kasumi Minamoto: acrobatic assassin who uses a stiletto and twin admantium fans  
  
Retribution  
  
Youji sauntered over to the young dark-haired woman at the bar. Jet-black hair pulled back in a   
French twist to reveal a delicate profile of pale skin devoid of make-up. A simple dress the   
color of her azure eyes showed off her long legs, which ended in strappy black stilettos. Coming   
up beside her, he told the bartender.  
  
"I'll have what she's having."  
  
The barkeeper handed him a glass of clear liquid.  
  
"What's this? Water?" Youji joked as he gulped it down. He ended up choking on it, much to the   
amusement of the bartender.  
  
"Vodka," the girl said dryly without even a hint of a smile.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Vodka," the bartender said obligingly. Youji glared at him as he went after the departing woman.  
  
"Wait! What's your name?"  
  
"You've never gotten a brush-off, have you?" The girl asked with a raised eyebrow as she spun on   
her heel to face him. "Well, you've just gotten one. I...am...not...interested... Is that clear   
enough for you?"  
  
She turned her back on him again as she headed for the door. Youji grinned. She was playing hard   
to get, huh...  
  
"So, will you give me the name of the girl who's given me my first brush-off?"  
  
"Nemo."  
  
She easily made her way through the throng of people at the dance floor. Youji smiled as the door   
shut behind her. He was sure he'd be seeing her around. Women just kept on coming back to him.  
  
"Nemo...huh..." He smiled to himself. Before the night was over, he'd know everything about her   
from her full name to her shoe size. Good thing he had Omi for things like that.  
  
  
"So, what's her name?" Omi asked with a sigh as he settled himself in front of the computer. "You   
owe me one, you know that?"  
  
"Yeah...yeah... Nemo. Her name's Nemo." Omi frowned. "What?"   
  
"The name sounds familiar."  
  
"I don't think you'd know this woman, Omi."  
  
Omi just shrugged and typed in the name. Leaning back to wait for the results, he tried to ignore   
the hovering man behind him.  
  
"What's up?" Ken asked, coing down the stairs of the basement. He frowned when he saw Omi at the   
computer. "I thought you went to bed. Don't you have finals tomorrow?"  
  
"Youji wanted me to look up a girl for him."  
  
Ken rolled his eyes.  
  
"So, what's her name?"  
  
"Nemo," Youji said.  
  
"Nemo? Isn't that..."  
  
"The name of the Nautilus captain in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne?" Omi cut in   
with a smirk as he loked up from the computer screen. "I told you the name sounded familiar. It's   
Latin for 'Nobody'."  
  
"What?!?" Youji gasped.  
  
  
Aya walked into the basement the next morning to find Youji at the computer.  
  
"I didn't know you knew how to use that."  
  
"Omi taught me the basics last night..." Youji muttered as he scanned the webpage that had come   
up on the computer screen.  
  
"What are you looking for?"  
  
"A girl named Nobody."  
  
Aya gave him a strange look. He looked up the stairs as he heard footsteps descending. Birman   
followed by Ken and Omi, who'd just returned from school, came down the stairs.   
  
"I have a mission for you."  
  
  
Birman left after awhile to let Weib make plans on their own.   
  
"Yakuza, huh?" Youji said, slouched on the couch with Ken next to him.   
  
"Better then searching for Nobody, right?" Omi grinned as his fingers flew on the computer  
keyboard. He easily dodged the pillow Youji threw his way.  
  
"Who's Nobody?" Aya asked, getting annoyed.  
  
"Youji's new girlfriend." Ken laughed.  
  
Aya scowled, considering the information worthless. He went to stand behind Omi.  
  
"Did you get the information we needed?"  
  
"Yup. Here's the blueprints of the building." He printed it out and showed it to the others. "So,   
what's our plan?"  
  
  
Aya rushed up the stairs, fast at the heels of the escaping yakuza known as Kamikaze. Having   
reached the top of the stairs leading to the helipad, Kamikaze slammed the door shut in Aya's face. Aya scowled in irritation as he kicked it open. In the dim light, he could barely make out the center of the helipad. A dim outline of a person emerged from the shadows, slowly making its way towards Kamikaze. The figure stopped at the edge of the lighted part of the helipad, something gleaming in his left hand.   
  
Aya cautiously approached Kamikaze from behind, both men eyeing the black-clad figure warily. Then, before he could do anything, the figure sent the object in his hand flying. Like a boomerang, it silently cut through the air, viciously slashing the yakuza's throat before flying back into its owner's waiting hand.   
  
Kamikaze was dead before his body even touched the ground.   
  
The figure looked up at the sky as the yakuza's helicopter finally arrived, shining its bright   
light down at him. From his hiding place at the staircase's doorway, Aya saw the slim figure dressed completely in black except for his white mask. From it, omnious black holes stared out as eyes. The rest of it was a plain, smooth surface but for the single bloodred tear that ran down its right cheek.  
  
The enigmatic figure leaped like a diver from the edge of the roof. As the helicopter went after the figure, Aya slipped away to join his waiting team.  
  
  
"Did you get him?" Youji asked.  
  
"No." The others looked at him in surprise. "Someone got to him before I did."  
  
The others looked at him disbelievingly. Ignoring their looks, Aya looked up from their spot  
across the building they'd just left. He saw the helicopter still circling the building,   
searching for the figure that had killed Kamikaze.  
  
"So, they didn't catch him."  
  
"Catch who?" Youji asked in annoyance.  
  
"Nobody we know."  
  
  
Aya leaned silently against the wall of the basement as the other three competed with each other  
in talking to Birman.  
  
"Enough," she told them. Then, she turned to face Aya. "Describe the person you saw."  
  
"All-black outfit. White mask with black holes as eyes. Rest of it was plain white except  
for a red tear down the right cheek. About my height. Slim build."  
  
"Nobody we know," Youji repeated Aya's words sullenly. "Who's this guy on our turf?"  
  
Aya stared. Ken and Omi rolled their eyes. Even Birman barely repressed a smile.  
  
"You sound like a yakuza. ...our turf... Please!" Ken said with a laugh.  
  
"See what you can dig up on this person, Omi," Birman said as she went up the stairs. "I'll talk  
to my sources."  
  
"Sure, Birman."  
  
"Really, Youji! What's wrong with you? You're suddenly attracted to Nobody and talk like a  
yakuza. Are you on drugs?" Ken joked.  
  
Youji glared at him before he stormed out of the basement. Ken and Omi stopped laughing, puzzled   
by Youji's reaction. Why was he being so sensitive? They'd just been joking. Aya followed Youji's   
ascending form up the stairs with his eyes.   
  
"What's wrong with him? I was just kidding around," Ken said defensively, while Omi frowned in  
worry.  
  
Aya didn't answer as he too left the room.  
  
  
Youji buried his head under his pillow at the sound of knocking at his door. After awhile, the  
knocking stopped and he sighed in relief. He wanted to be alone. ...Didn't he? Maybe that's what  
was wrong. He felt so alone even with Omi, Ken, and Aya. Sure, they were his friends, but they  
couldn't replace Asuka anymore then the many girls he flirted with could.  
  
He tensed up as he felt another presence enter the room.   
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Aya asked in the dark.   
  
Youji didn't answer. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? It was a foolish question. He knew   
why. They were friends. They trusted each other with their lives. Stood by each other. Kept an  
eye out for each other. Even Aya had warmed up to the them recently. He and Youji were now close friends because there were some things that the younger guys couldn't understand.  
  
"Youji?"  
  
He still refused to answer, but Aya knew that he was awake. Aya neared the bed and stopped at the night table. Picking up a bottle of sleeping pills, he shook it.  
  
"Didn't you just buy this last week? It's already half-empty. Damnit, Kudou! Talk to me!" Aya said angrily as he yanked the pillow away.  
  
Youji sat up and leant against the headboard of his bed. He shakily lit himself a cigarette from the pack on the table. He looked at Aya, a look of resignation and defeat on his face. That scared Aya. He'd never seen the confident older man like that.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" He repeated in a calmer voice.  
  
Youji turned away to look out the window, eyes glazed over. Aya sighed softly and headed for the door.  
  
"I miss her..." Aya stopped at Youji's softly-spoken words and turned back. "...and I know that no matter how hard I try, I can never replace her."  
  
"Then don't." Youji turned to look at a solemn-faced Aya. "Don't." He repeated. "There'll always be just one Asuka. But maybe...just maybe...there's another woman out there who can make you happy again. Don't destroy yourself like this. Do you think..." Aya stopped abruptly.  
  
Youji smiled sadly. He knew what Aya had been planning to say.  
  
"No. She wouldn't have wanted me to be this way."  
  
He then put out the cigarette and settled down to sleep. Before Aya could shut the door behind him, Youji called out.  
  
"Aya..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
  
Aya sat silently in his seat, wishing that his sister could be here with him. She'd have loved it. The cheering crowd. The shouting people selling popcorn, cotton candy, and soda. And best of all, the dazzling performers in their sparkling costumes underneath the bright spotlights.   
  
He looked over at Ken, Omi, and Youji, who were obviously enjoying the show. He must have looked depressed. Catching Youji's eye, Youji flashed him a big smile, which he weakly returned. Then, he looked back at the ring to watch the new act, trying to enjoy the show. This was the last night the Russian Circus was performing here and Birman had given them tickets for it. She said that they deserved it after taking down a serial killer who'd eluded the police for months.  
  
A solo figure stood at the center of the ring dressed in a dark blue bodysuit with streaks of a lighter blue on it like brushstrokes. Her dark blue eyes sparkled from her white-painted face.  
  
He was so intent on the young woman that he didn't hear Youji gasp.   
  
The woman, announced as The Amazing Anya, opened the black paper fan she held in her left hand with a flick of her wrist. Another flick and the fan grew into a much thinner and almost completely circular fan except for where she held it. Then, the fan split into two. Holding one in each hand, she began her acrobatic act. It was a graceful dance with flips and somersaults. Her flexible body moved in time to the fast music while her fans, like extensions of herself, added to the beauty of it.  
  
When she'd finished, he rose with the others to applaud. She snapped the two back into one and closed it, holding it in her left hand as she raised the other in salute.  
  
Yes, there was no doubt about it. She was Kamikaze's killer.  
  
  
Glad for the backstage passages Omi'd insisted on buying, Aya and Youji left behind the protesting Ken and Omi, headed in different directions.   
  
Aya silently entered the acrobat's trailer, but she looked up as soon as he entered. With her face half-cleaned of its make-up, he realized how young she really was. Her face was young and unlined, but her eyes said otherwise. They'd lost the sparkle she'd had while performing. Now, they were dead and expressionless blue orbs.  
  
"Amazing Anya...or should I say Kamikaze's Killer?" He said, stopping behind her seat at the dressing table. His voice was not accusing, merely curious. What had made her kill a man in cold blood - never mind that he deserved it? She didn't look like a killer...but then again neither did any of his friends.  
  
She went back to cleaning her face, no reaction at all to his query.  
  
"What do you want?" As she reached into a drawer, he was so intent on studying her blank face with its lifeless eyes that he did not notice the stiletto blade she slipped into the sleeve of her black silk robe.  
  
"Why?"   
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Why did you kill him?"  
  
"Why were YOU planning to kill him?" Aya did not answer. After an uneasy pause, she spoke again. "Vengeance."  
  
"Revenge?"  
  
"Vengeance," she repeated firmly. "Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged. Joseph Joubert."  
  
Before he could question her further, the door slammed open behind him, causing him to whirl around and reach for a sword that wasn't there. He relaxed when he saw who it was, then frowned. What did Youji want with her?  
  
"Nemo..." He gasped. Aya looked back at her in surprise.  
  
"YOU'RE Nemo?"  
  
She got up and turned to face them as another person entered the already cramped trailer.  
  
"I seem to be quite popular tonight," she commented dryly.  
  
"So, it would seem," the newcomer said as the men looked back and forth at them in surprise. "Does this..." Gesturing at the two men. "...mean that you accept?"  
  
"No. But, I do accept, Birman."  
  
  
"I refuse to dress up as a girl again!" Omi protested loudly.  
  
"We're not asking you to!" Youji shouted just as loudly in irritation.  
  
"You don't need to shout!"  
  
"You're the one who's shouting!"  
  
"Will you two shut up!" Ken shouted, trying to be heard above the other two's noise.  
  
"You shut up!" The two shouted.  
  
Aya calmly took this all in, while an increasingly annoyed Birman stood next to the stairs.  
  
"Enough!" She finally said in a no-nonsense voice. She was quickly losing any doubt of adding a new member to Weib. Maybe the newcomer could make these guys toe the line. "No one is going to dress up as a girl."  
  
"Then, how're we going to get info on the drug deals in a private GIRLS school?" Omi pouted cutely.  
  
"That's my job." A disembodied voice spoke from the top of the dark staircase.  
  
Omi and Ken took a step back in surprise as the owner of the voice came down to reveal the dark-haired acrobat. Aya's face remained expressionless, whereas the strange expression on Youji's face was unreadable.  
  
"Aren't you Anya Malenkov, the Russian acrobat?" Ken finally managed to say.  
  
"I'm Kasumi Minamoto," she said, her voice free of any European accent.  
  
*Minamoto was the name of the businessman Kamikaze killed a month ago...* Aya thought.  
  
"If you're Japanese, why did you take on a Russian name and join a Russian circus?" Omi asked curiously.  
  
"I never said I was Japanese."  
  
"Ohhh...right."  
  
*But then...* Aya unconciously frowned, then snapped out of it when Birman cut in.  
  
"Seeing that her room is not yet ready, she'll have to stay with one of you guys for a few days."  
All the Weib members slept in rooms above the flowershop and the only spare room was being used as a storage room. They'd have to clear it before Kasumi could use it. "Any volunteers?" Birman raised an eyebrow in surprise when Youji didn't immediately volunteer - not that she'd have let Kasumi stay with him in the first place.   
  
"She can stay with me," Aya finally said. This time she raised both eyebrows in surprise. Since when did the aloof swordsman, welcome strangers to share his room. Something strange was definitely going on here.   
  
Still, she nodded in acceptance of the offer, although the he wasn't her first choice, he'd do. But, why hadn't Youji voluteered or even make a pass at Kasumi? As a matter of fact, what had he been doing in her trailer the previous night? She knew why Aya'd been there - he'd discovered like Kritiker had that Kasumi was Kamikaze's killer - but she hadn't been able to talk to Youji. She didn't have time to speak to him now but she seriously hoped that there was nothing going on between the two. Last thing, she needed was two fighting lovebirds in the team.  
  
  
After Birman had left, Aya went up to his room with Kasumi behind him. He opened the door and let her enter. She dumped her only piece of luggage, a big old duffel bag, on the floor next to the couch.  
  
"I'll take the couch," she immediately said. He nodded, not protesting. Pointing towards the small bathroom, he said.  
  
"If you want to clean up, the bathroom's there. It'll be dinner soon. We eat in the kitchen downstairs in the back of the shop."  
  
She nodded. Before she closed the bathroom door, she said.  
  
"Fujimiya..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thank you."  
  
  
Dinner was unusually quiet that night. Kasumi sat in between Aya, who sat on one end of the table, and Omi. Youji sat next to Omi on the other end, while Ken sat directly in front of her, beside Aya. She ate quickly, then excused herself. As soon as she ascended the steps to the second floor, she heard the soft murmur of voices.   
  
"What do you think of her, Youji?" Omi asked. Obviously, the others with the exception of Aya were wondering why Youji hadn't flirted with her at all.  
  
"She's alright." Omi shifted uncomfortably at the unexpected reply, while Ken looked at Aya in worry. Aya didn't speak, so Ken spoke to Youji instead.  
  
"Aren't you interested in her, Youji?"   
  
"What's the use if she's not interested in me?" Youji said in the same strange soft voice he'd used ever since Kasumi came.  
  
"What makes you think that?"  
  
"She's Nemo," Youji said flatly. "She wasn't interested then and she still isn't now."  
  
Ken and Omi exchanged worried looks. They'd never seen Youji so down, especially over a girl who'd rejected him. There'd been a few in the past, but it hadn't affected him at all. He'd just gone off after another girl.   
  
Aya knew what was wrong, but he wasn't speaking. Youji's pent-up negative emotions and the piling stressful missions were finally affecting the happy-go-lucky, playboy exterior that he kept up for the world to see. After Kasumi's rejection, it wouldn't take much for Youji to fall apart. Although Aya knew that being Youji's friend he should be mad at Kasumi - it was illogical, but hey, that's how a friend should act, right? - he couldn't.   
  
He couldn't help but like her despite her stoic manner. Hell...she reminded him of himself. And now that he thought he knew why she'd done what she did, he sympathized with her. They were alike, the two of them. Both had become what they were now because of revenge...no matter that she'd said that hers was a case of vengeance. It was revenge to him, no matter how hard she'd try to dress it up with nice words. What they did was a bloody business and she'd have to accept it in time. And he was sure that she would, just as he had.  
  
  
Kasumi took a deep breath and looked behind where Aya nodded encouragingly by his Porsche. He'd volunteered to drop her off for her first day as a senior in The Yashida Private School for Young Ladies. She looked back at the impressive building with its tall iron gates.   
  
It looked like a prison.   
  
She entered the gates without looking back again, dressed in a short plaid skirt with a dark blazer and starched white blouse. Slinging her book bag over her shoulder, she climbed up the school's stone steps flanked by stone dragons. Her job was simple. Act like an ordinary student and sneak around for information on the shady drug deals that went on in the school.   
  
She was not unfamiliar with the background of the school. Even before she'd joined Weib, she'd known the founder of the school Shingen Yashida as well as his daughter Mariko. She'd never known until recently that Yashida had been a yakuza crimelord and used institutions like the school as fronts. Mariko had been different, however, she'd been as good as her father'd been evil. Although Mariko had been older, they'd been good friends. But now, she was dead. And all because of the yakuza. Damn them. She would not rest until she'd crushed the last of them. That or she'd die trying. She stifled a grim smile, she probably would die for her cause. But that was life...or rather death...for you.  
  
  
She ignored the practically senile teacher, who babbled on about the laws of physics at the front of the room. Instead, she intently listened to the whispered murmurs of those around her.  
  
...new girl...you think we should ask her to join us for lunch...looks like a snob...as if you aren't...whatever...hey, did you hear that Keiko is dating the english teacher...no kidding!...uhuh...her parents will kill her...they've got a new shipment of heroin...cool...  
  
She nonchalantly flipped her hair over her shoulder as she tried to look for the owner of the last voice. But before she could, the school bell rang for lunch. Damnit...  
  
As she picked up her books, three tall, slim girls approached her. She repressed a smirk. They looked like clones of each other. Perfectly styled long black hair, not a strand out of place. Light blush and a touch of lip gloss. Identical hot pink pencil cases and notebooks, casually balanced on their right arm. Impeccable uniforms with identical cherry blossom pins and outrageously high stilettos.  
  
"Hello, you're the new girl Kasumi, right?" The one she assumed was the leader asked.  
  
She nodded coolly as they looked her over.  
  
"Well, I'm Keiko, she's Aiko and she's Maiko."  
  
"It's a pleasure to make you're acquaintance," she said in what she hoped was a demure voice. She could bearly restrain her sarcasm. These girls were obviously the top clique in the school, if anyone knew anything about the drug deals going on, they would.  
  
"The pleasure is ours," Keiko replied with a plastic cheery smile, a mirror image of the smiles on her two friends. "So, would you like to have lunch with us?"  
  
"I'd love to," she gushed, inwardly wincing. She was glad that her father had taught her well in controlling her emotions. She resisted the urge to wipe the plastic smiles on their faces and followed them to the cafeteria.  
  
  
All in all, it was an uneventful day. She'd made friends with the right people, but it would take time to get them to trust her and let her in on the drug deals. but it was obvious that there were deals going on. She couldn't help but notice the dazed girls with glazed-over eyes who'd lounge about in the bathroom couches. The smell of drugs faintly perfumed the air as a few smoked a cleverly diguised joint.   
  
She cheerily chatted with her new-made 'friends' on the step, while she waited for Aya to pick her up. She could've walked or ridden her motorcycle, but she knew that it wouldn't go with the image she was trying to present. She heard him call her name, and before she turned around to face him she noticed her 'friends' plastic smiles replaced by real ones. She looked back to see Aya by his car with Youji and Ken in the back seat. Well, well. It must be your lucky day, girls.  
  
"Do you know does guys, Kasumi?" Keiko casually asked as the two others eyed the guys from under lowered lashes.  
  
"They're friends of mine."  
  
"Oh...I see...."  
  
"Would you like me to introduce you to them?"   
  
"Well...why not?" Keiko shrugged with false reluctance. "But, I already have a boyfriend."  
  
Oh, yes. The english teacher...  
  
Kasumi walked up to the car and stopped next to Aya.   
  
"This is Aya, Youji, and Ken," she said, pointing at each guy in turn. She slightly raised an eyebrow at Youji's disinterest as well as his intent look on her. Finally, he looked at the three girls, and getting out of the car, he kissed the hand of each. Keiko coolly eyed him like a cat playing with a mouse while Aiko and Maiko smiled brightly.   
  
Kasumi noticed Aya frown slightly at Youji's lack of zeal in flirting. It seemed almost prefunctory for him. The frown was gone in an instant, and noticing the nervous-looking Ken, he spoke.  
  
"It was a...pleasure...meeting you. But, we really must be going."  
  
"Yes, we really should. My apologies," Youji said with a forced smile.  
  
"Well, we hope to see you again...soon," Maiko said eyeing Youji, while Aiko nodded in agreement, looking in Ken's direction. They obviously thought that Kasumi and Aya were together. She wasn't sure what to make of that idea.  
  
She said goodbye before getting into the passenger seat. Aya turned on the car, while Youji got back in.   
  
"We might as well pick up Omi on the way back."  
  
"Too bad, he wasn't around for the vultures," Kasumi said drily as they turned around a corner.  
She caught Aya's brief smile out of the corner of her eye. So, he did smile.  
  
"Vultures, huh?"  
  
"Did you find out anything?" Youji asked bluntly, almost rudely, from the back.  
  
She looked at him by the rearview mirror and frowned.  
  
"No, I did not. You can't really expect me to find out everything we need in one day. These things take time." She cut him off and continued as he began to open his mouth to speak. "If you think you can do better, why don't YOU dress up as a girl and try dealing with those plastic, back-stabbing piranhas? Women aren't entirely soft and sweet, you know?"  
  
"So, I've found out in you," Youji retorted.  
  
She flushed angrily, but kept silent. It was useless talking to him when he was obviously on her case. You'd think a guy could take rejection better. The jerk. She looked out of the car, ignoring Aya's questioning look.  
  
  
When they reached Omi's school, Aya cursed softly. There wasn't a vacant parking space in sight.  
  
"Why don't you drop me off in the front so I can get him, while you turn around?" Kasumi offered.  
Aya nodded in agreement, while she ignored Youji's rude mutterings about pushy women who thought they were too good for anyone. She rolled her eyes. Men could really act like children at times, especially when they didn't get what they want. Both didn't notice Aya's strange smile. And Ken was too scared of the moody Youji to do anything but eye the man warily from his seat pressed against the cardoor.  
  
When Aya got back from turning around, Kasumi stood, arms crossed in front of her and a trace of a smile on her face, with a blushing red Omi next to her. She took her seat next to Aya, then turned when she heard Ken's yelp of surprise. He'd been so close to the edge and so intent on keeping away from Youji that he hadn't noticed that they'd stopped again. Omi, on the other hand, was so embarrassed by the teasing about his 'girlfriend' that he'd just opened the door unthinkingly, causing Ken to fall out on his back. Both flushed boys got into the car, dying to get away from the staring people. It was a very silent ride back.  
  
  
That night, Kasumi left the table after arranging to take an afternoon shift in the flowershop every other day after school. After all she had to earn her keep, as she so aptly put it. Even after she left there wasn't much conversation. Omi left soon after to do some research on the computer in the basement. Ken kept away from the glowering Youji and near the blank-faced Aya, while picking at his food.  
  
Then, they heard it. The music from above. It started out soft and slow, reminiscent of a weeping mourner at a loved one's funeral. Then, the music changed it became wild and angry like a raging wounded beast or the fatal fury of a tempest. As suddenly and smoothly as it had changed, it changed again, becoming as heart-wrenching as before.  
  
Aya looked away before the other's could see the tear that ran down his cheek, while Ken merely looked down in silence at his plate, pale face drawn. When the music slowly faded into silence, they realized that the sound of typing below had died long before. Then, the sound of a slamming door finally broke the tense silence as Youji left.  
  
After Aya'd helped Ken clean up, he went to his room and hesitated at his door. Finally, he quickly opened it to find a pitch-black room. He made his way to the bathroom in the dark, knowing that Kasumi wasn't one to leave things lying around on the floor for him to trip on. Switching on the lights of the bathroom, he turned to look at her still form on the couch and noticed the violin case carefully laid on the coffee table. After he'd shut the door close behind him, watery blue eyes opened and the dark head buried itself on the pillow to weep once more.  
  
  
The next morning, Kasumi was unexpectedly cheerful. At least for her. Dressed neatly in her school uniform, she fixed breakfast and made coffee for them. Aya, Ken, and Omi, that is. Youji hadn't come home since he'd left the previous night.  
  
"So, it'll be another day with the vultures for me," she said, her voice tinged with grim amusement. "Could you pick me up as well as drop me off, Fujimaya?"  
  
"I could do that." They all looked up to see a worn-out Youji dressed in the rumpled suit of clothes he'd worn the previous night. She eyed him warily for a moment before asking.  
  
"Are you up to it?"  
  
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?"  
  
"I seriously hope you aren't suffering from a hangover. Last thing I need is to end up in an ICU ward from driving with you," she said as she brushed past him on her way out the door. "Well, are you coming or not?" She called back in irritation when he didn't move. He nodded at the three and went after her, shutting the door behind him.   
  
Ken and Omi exchanged surprised looks, then turned to find Aya with a mysterious smile on his face.  



	2. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: I don't own Weib or the hot guys in it. But, I do wish a certain redheaded, katana-weilding assassin was mine. I don't own X-men and any of its related characters either. But, Kasumi Minamoto belongs to me.  
  
Characters:  
Japan:  
Weib, good assassin group out to rid Japan of its scum -  
Aya Fujimiya, aka Abyssinian - sword-weilding redhead  
Youji Kudou, aka Balinese - wire-handling blonde with green eyes  
Ken Hidaka, aka Siberian - tiger-claw user with brown hair and eyes  
Omi Tsukiyono, aka Bombay - arrows/bow gun/darts user with blonde hair and blue eyes  
Persia - leader of Weib  
Birman - Persia's secretary  
Kasumi Minamoto, codename: Russian (Blue) - acrobatic assassin who uses a stiletto and twin admantium fans  
  
Clan Yashida -  
Shingen Yashida - yakuza crimelord, killed by Wolverine  
Mariko Yashida - Shingen's daughter and Wolverine's true love, poisoned by the yakuza  
Yukio - former yakuza assassin who fell in love with her target Wolverine; superb acrobat and martial artist  
  
America:  
X-men, good mutants under Charles Xavier -  
Charles Xavier - telepath and founder of the group  
Wolverine - healing powers and admantium claws; due to healing powers and suffered trauma, his past is unclear and his true age unknown, known only as Logan  
  
Retribution II  
  
No words were spoken as Youji came quite close to breaking the speed limit while his passenger tried to save her windblown hairdo from total destruction.   
  
"Why?"  
  
Kasumi sighed. What was with men and the question 'why?'? Particularly these men.  
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Do you always answer a question with a question?"  
  
"Only when a vague question is being asked. Why what? Why am I such a bitch? Why did I brush you off? Why was I asked to join Weib? Why did I accept? There's a lot of possibilities when it comes to that question, you know."  
  
Youji gave her a wry grin.  
  
"How about answering #2 first?"  
  
"I'm only going to answer that. You can forget about the others." He shrugged in what she supposed was agreement, so she continued. "I already answered you in the club. I wasn't interested."  
  
"Why?" She rolled her eyes. "...I'm not your type?"  
  
"I don't exactly have a type. I'm just not looking for a serious, more-than-friends relationship right now. My last one...well, it ended badly."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"No, you don't."  
  
"If you say so," he said with a grin. So, she didn't hate him really. Somehow knowing that made him feel better. *Sheesh, Kudou. You're really insecure nowadays. Next thing you know, you'll be begging the others to reassure you that they're your friends. Your a real basket case.*  
  
"What's so funny?" She asked suspiciously at his unconscious grin.  
  
"Nothing...about you. I was just thinking about my life."  
  
She rolled her eyes again and got out of the car as they reached the school.  
  
"I knew you had a big ego, Kudou. I just never knew how big."  
  
He grinned cockily upon realizing that she was joking. She smirked and turned to enter the gates, saucily flipping her dark hair at him.  
  
"I'll pick you up after school," he shouted after her.  
  
"Yes, Daddy," she said in a sweet childish voice.  
  
  
She cursed under her breath. Keiko had talked her ear off about the latest in fashion wear. Now, she was late for her chemistry class and her chem teacher was a real terror. If you were late once for her class, she never let you forget it.  
  
As she quickly turned a corner, she crashed into a junior. Her icy glare wavered when she recognized the frightened girl.  
  
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...really..."  
  
"It's alright," she said calmly, reaching for her dropped books. The hell with chem. The mission was more important and this girl just might be able to help her. "Don't you remember me, Amiko?"  
  
"Kasumi?"   
  
"Yes. Look...do you have a class?"  
  
"No, my maths professor is on sick leave and we don't have a substitute yet."  
  
"Then, can I talk to you for a moment?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Kasumi grabbed the younger girl by the arm and dodged into an empty classroom.  
  
"Is Yukio still keeping an eye on you?"  
  
"I suppose."  
  
"Do you know how I can conact her?" It was a crazy thing to ask, knowing how secretive Yukio was, but why not try?  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Does she know that you're studying here?"  
  
"I suppose."  
  
Kasumi suppressed a frustrated sigh. This was going nowhere. But, no use getting angry and scaring Amiko in the process. She told herself to keep her cool and spoke in what she hoped was a calm voice.  
  
"Have you noticed anything...odd...about the school?"  
  
"Well...nope..."  
  
Shit. This girl was so clueless. Kasumi couldn't understand how a man like Logan could take a girl like Amiko as his ward. But, then again, Logan was the protector type.  
  
"Then, I'll see you around."  
  
"Oki-doki!" The girl said cheerily as she left the room. Kasumi rolled her eyes. Really...  
  
  
"So, find anything new?"  
  
"I might have..."  
  
"So..."  
  
"I need to check up on it first...drop me off here," she said gesturing vaguely at the business section they were in.  
  
"Are you sure?" Youji asked warily, looking around at the unsavory characters milling about the filthy streets and shady shops. She opened the door and stepped out. Smiling sweetly at him, she fluttered her long eyelashes at him.  
  
"They didn't ask me to join the team just for my charm, darlin'. Daddy's li'l girl CAN take care of herself in the big, bad city," she cooed before turning on her heel and disappearing into the crowd.  
  
He shook his head and drove on with an amused look on his face, but still there was a nagging worry in the back of his mind that just maybe she'd get hurt...and frankly the idea scared him.  
  
  
She ignored the leers and suggestive remarks thrown her way as she walked, kneeing a guy that went to far and shoving another into the trash-filled gutter. She'd spent the entire afternoon searching. This was the last place on her list. A small teashop. After looking around, she picked the lock of the closed shop and entered it, locking it behind her. The dim light came from the shade-covered, grimy windows, lighting the empty shop with its dusty furniture. She made her way to the back and gently pushed open the hidden panel behind the counter to face the business end of a gun.  
  
"Long time, no see, Yukio."  
  
"Kasumi..." The gun went down and its owner nodded towards a scarred wooden chair. "Have a seat. I haven't heard from you for some time. You dropped out of sight after..."  
  
"My father died?" Kasumi said bitterly.  
  
"Yes...Mikagami..."  
  
"Don't repeat that name in my presence again," she said, her voice taking on a hard edge.  
  
"You killed him?" It was a statement really. They both knew that knew that no one else could have done it.  
  
"You taught me well," she said with a grim smile, taking a sip from the offered hot tea. The other shook her head sadly.  
  
"I never thought it would come to that."  
  
"You knew then. You knew the truth about him and Yashida...of course, you did...seeing as you used to work for their kind..." Kasumi's venemous voice broke at that. Realizing that she'd stood up, she sat down again and calmed herself before continuing. "I trusted you, Yukio. My father trusted you..."  
  
"Believe me, Kasumi," the older woman begged. "If I'd known that it would come to that, I'd have told you. On my honor..." Kasumi looked her in the eye for a long uneasy moment, then nodded.  
  
"I believe you. I know you to be a woman of honor, despite what you used to do," she smiled wryly at that. Then, her voice hardened again. "I hope you won't give me a reason to doubt you again." The other said nothing, but she continued in her normal voice. "...anyway, I suppose you want to know why I'm here. Well, do you know anything about the drug deals going on in Amiko's school?"  
  
"You think?" The other said sarcastically. "Her adopted parents are as clueless as she is. I know they only want what's best for her...but really."  
  
"Logan'll freak."  
  
"No shit."  
  
"He know?" Yukio shook her head. "He will..."  
  
"I know," she said with a sigh. Then, she looked up sharply at Kasumi. "Why are YOU so interested anyway? It isn't just about Mariko and her father, is it?"  
  
The young woman laughed hollowly.  
  
"I see that you're as sharp as ever. No, I've never been one to disturb the dead. I've my own reasons for being interested in the school. Why, I've even started studying there."  
  
The experienced former assassin narrowed her eyes at her old protege.  
  
"Very well, keep your secrets. But, keep an eye out for Amiko. You know how she is."  
  
"Yes, I do...and you'll tell me what you find out about the deals?"  
  
"You drive a hard bargain, but alright."  
  
"Not like you had a choice." The young woman smirked.  
  
  
"Where've you been?" A furious and obviously quite worried Youji shouted as soon as she entered the kitchen.   
  
It was late and the remains of dinner lay on the table along with the used plates. Youji'd been wearing a path on the linoleum, while the other three'd watched him, torn between worry for her and amusement at Youji's extreme concern.  
  
"Doing my job," she said calmly, placing her coat on a chair and sitting at the table. "Any dinner left for li'l ol' me?" She smiled as Aya handed her a plate of heated leftovers. "Thank you."  
  
"What did you find out?" Aya asked curiously.  
  
"Was it worth risking your life for?" Youji cut in, still furious. Kasumi rolled her eyes.  
  
"In no time whatsover was my life at risk, Daddy," she said mockingly.  
  
"Are you kidding..." He continued before she could make a smart retort. "...we're talking about a dangerous part of the city for a girl to be in..."  
  
"Kudou," she said.  
  
"What?!?"  
  
"Shut up." She took a drink of water and watched him sputter before she continued, "I told you I could take care of myself and believe me, I can. Trust me, alright? And let me tell you three things. One, it's nice to know you care, but don't make the mistake of trying to stifle me. Two, I'm a woman, not a girl. I thought you noticed that the first time we met."  
  
"And three?" Aya asked in amusement when she didn't continue.  
  
"Three, you're cute when you're mad, Kudou."   
  
Youji flushed red, while the other three repressed their laughter. Aya allowed himself a small smile before he spoke up again.  
  
"So, what did you find out?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"What?!?" Youji shouted in surprise and even Aya looked confused.  
  
"But..."  
  
"But..." Aya said encouragingly.  
  
"...I did find an old contact who can help us."  
  
"Why did he agree to help us?" Omi asked suspiciously.  
  
"SHE agreed in exchange for keeping an eye out for a girl in the school."  
  
"How'll we do that?" Ken asked.  
  
"I can do that in school...but outside..."   
  
"What?" Ken asked at her sudden piercing look.  
  
"How would you like a girlfriend, Ken?"  
  
"Ahhh...but...but, what makes you think she'll agree to go with ME?"  
  
"I'll point her in your direction. ...So, do we have an agreement?"  
  
The others nodded.  
  
  
Kasumi rested her head on the car seat's headrest, eyes closed behind her dark shades. The headache she'd gotten from her late night cramming hadn't been eased by the painkillers she'd taken.  
  
"You alright?" Youji asked as he stopped at a redlight.  
  
"Hmmm...I suppose..." She murmured.  
  
"Why don't you call in sick?"  
  
"And shirk from my duty? Really, Youji...I thought you knew me better. Besides, I need to keep an eye out for Amiko. Ken'll be with you to meet Amiko this afternoon, right?"  
  
"Right. ...You'll take care of yourself?"  
  
She opened an eye and looked at him, his face frowning in concern.  
  
"The worse they can do is stab me with a nail file, Kudou."  
  
"Piranhas bite, Kasumi. And they're vicious in a group."  
  
"I'll watch my back and try not to get myself killed, alright?" She stifled a yawn and stepped out of the car after removing her shades.  
  
"You better."  
  
  
Youji tapped his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel.  
  
"I'm sure she's alright, Youji," Ken said reassuringly. "They wouldn't hurt her, knowing that people are expecting her."  
  
"Unless, they don't give a damn," Youji muttered darkly.  
  
"Look here they are. ...She's pretty..." Youji glared at him for a moment before realizing that he was talking about the girl next to Kasumi. The one called Amiko. "What the hell?"  
  
Youji frowned and got out of the car, fingering his watch where his wire was concealed. He got behind the short old man who'd stopped Kasumi and Amiko, Ken right behind him.  
  
"Something wrong here?" He asked in a cool, hard voice.  
  
"It's alright, Kudou. He's a friend of mine, as well as, Amiko's gaurdian." Ken relaxed at that, but Youji looked at the man suspiciously. The man just glowered right back at him."His name's Logan. Logan, Kudou and Hidaka."  
  
"Watcha lookin' at bub?" Logan growled. Youji bite back the few choice words he wanted to say when Kasumi gave him a warning look.  
  
"Look, now that we all know each other, can we talk somewhere else? We're attracting unwanted attention here. How about Yukio's teashop?" Kasumi said, breaking the staring contest between the two. Logan nodded in agreement. "Men..." She muttered to herself as she headed for the car. Youji turned to follow her with one last glare at Logan.  
  
"Uh...you want to ride with us?" Ken asked Amiko shyly. She blushed, then nodded. Before he could follow her, Logan grabbed him by the arm.  
  
"Hurt her and you're dead meat, kid."  
  
Ken looked back at the man's ice blue eyes unflinchingly and answered calmly.  
  
"She's safe with me."  
  
The man grunted and headed for his motorcycle without another word.  
  
  
"So, Yashida's minions are still at their old games, huh?" Logan said in disgust, puffing on a cigar.  
  
"Yes, Yamashita has taken over the drug deals. The school is one of his markets and a few of the staff sell drugs in and out of the school. The principal is in his pay, of course, but the board seems to be in the dark," Yukio said.  
  
"So, who of the staff is in on it?" Kasumi asked.  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
"Well, make sure," Youji snapped. "How can we let Kasumi or Amiko go back in that school without knowing who's in on it? For all we know, they know all about our interest in the deals. And that could get people killed."  
  
"Kudou," Kasumi said sharply.  
  
"He's right," Logan said. "We need to know more and soon."  
  
"I'm doing my best," Yukio said, her hurt evident.  
  
"I know, Yukio," Logan said in an attempt to pacify her.  
  
"Well, if that'll be all, we should be going, Kudou," Kasumi said, leaving the backroom.  
  
They met a whispering pair at the front of the shop. At their entrance, the pair looked up blushing. Kasumi merely raised an eyebrow as she headed for the door while Youji smirked knowingly.  
  
"Well, I must be going," Ken said apologetically. "I'll see you around, I suppose...would you like to go out sometime?"  
  
"I'd like that." She blushed. The two looked up in surprise as they suddenly noticed Logan's presence.   
  
"I promised your parents that I'd bring you home early, Amiko," Logan said. Ken nodded in understanding.  
  
"I'll be seeing you."  
  
  
Aya hesitated once more at his door as he heard the music from inside. This was only the second time he'd heard her play. He supposed that she played her violin whenever she was troubled. He wondered what was wrong. Youji'd told him what had happened at the teashop. And it was evident that the older man was not pleased with it.  
  
Finally, he opened the door and looked at the window where she played, eyes closed as the bow glided on the strings. She did not stop as he entered and shut the door behind him. He leant against the door and studied her profile by the dim light from the window. Her face was like it was the night he met her at the circus. Devoid of expression. Pale and smooth like the mask he'd only seen her wear once. She was absorbed in her music, but he knew that she'd felt his presence as soon as he'd entered.   
  
As he watched her, he wondered. What went on in this woman's head? What was she really like? Was the hardened face she'd worn when he met her a mask that covered the sarcastic one she now wore? Or was it the other way around? The sarcastic one the mask placed on for them and the hardened one the real her. Was she like them - hardened to the core by the bitterness and cruelty of life?   
  
That was not the way to live. He'd understood that in time as the others had. He hoped that she would too. They hadn't let go of the knowledge that life was cruel or that their job was a bloody one, but they had come to understand that they also had to live life by day as best and as normally as they could. It was not much, but it was all they had left. And they treasured it. The innocence by day that replaced the harsh coldness at night. He hoped that one day she would too.  
  
So deep in thought was he that he hadn't realized that the music had stopped. He looked up to meet the deep blue depths of her blank eyes. He slowly walked towards her and gently took the violin away, laying it on the nearby table. He opened his arms and took her in. Holding her tightly, he buried his face in her hair. No words were spoken, but none were needed.  
  
  
Kasumi calmly walked the school corridor with the chattering Amiko at her side. Ignoring the girl, she smiled as the plastic trio stopped in front of her.  
  
"Hello, Kasumi!" They said in chorus.  
  
"Hello, Keiko, Aiko, Maiko!" She replied, hating herself for sounding like some airheaded bimbo.  
  
"So, can you come to the party tonight?" Noticing Amiko, Keiko added, "She can come too. You ARE the daughter of the president of Ikari Industries, right?"  
  
"Uhuh," Amiko said cheerily. "I'd be glad to come."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Yeah, cool," the other two said with identical plastic smiles.  
  
Oh shit, this was not good. Logan would kill her if she got Amiko involved with the three, seeing as she suspected them of being drug users.  
  
"But, I thought you were going out with Logan tonight?" Kasumi said innocently.  
  
"Oh, right..." She said, upset.  
  
"Well, another time perhaps," Keiko said charitably, assuming that Logan was Amiko's boyfriend.  
  
"Yes, another time...I'd better go. I'll be late for my literature class. Bye!"  
  
"Bye!" They called out.  
  
"So, can your boy friends come?" Keiko said nonchalantly as they walked to their physics class. "They are invited too, you know."  
  
"Sure, I'll ask them," Kasumi said, repressing a smirk. She'd heard how Keiko's parents had ordered the principal to fire the english teacher upon discovering Keiko's realtionship with him. Now, she was taking french for her foreign languages class.  
  
So, the shark was out hunting for new prey, huh? Well, she'd be glad to provide her with one. Especially as she suspected that the party was going to involve drugs. The guys would be only to glad to accompany her. Too bad, Ken wouldn't play along now that he was interested in Amiko. She hoped that his interest wouldn't get him killed. Logan tended to be REALLY protective. And Omi didn't look the type to go to parties like this one, so that left Youji and Aya.   
  
Youji and Aya. Those two really confused her. She liked both of them...yes, she admitted to herself...she did like Youji despite his stifling protective nature when it came to women. But, after Mikagami, she wasn't sure she was ready for another relationship. Mikagami's betrayal still hurt. And she was scared...yes, she was scared shitless...of getting hurt and being betrayed all over again.   
  
Aya, on the other hand, was more like the brother she never had and she knew that he'd never knowingly hurt or betray her. They were alike in a lot of ways and understood each other without saying a word. But, Youji...she didn't know. She was frightened about the way he made her feel. That was why she acted the way she did around him. She wanted to push him away before he could get close enough to hurt her. And she knew...how couldn't she...about his playboy reputation. Even though she thought she saw through it...saw it as his shield to probably ease the pain of a past loss, she didn't see that as an excuse for him to hurt women by brushing them off after a brief relationship. And to think he considered himself to be their protector. Hah! Men could be such self-righteous chauvinists.  
  
"Kasumi?" Keiko asked curiously, giving her a strange look.  
  
Kasumi looked up in surprise. She hadn't noticed that they'd reached their classroom. Shit. Keep your mind on the job, Minamoto! She told herself sharply. Worry about your personal life later. Spacing out like that could get her and her friends...yes, she did consider Weib to be her friends...killed.   
  
"Sorry," she said, forcing a smile. "I tend to space out when I take my pills." She popped a few harmless, but convincing pills in her mouth, swallowing them dry. It would be great if she could convince the trio that she was on drugs too.   
  
"I see," Keiko smiled widely as the other two exchanged looks. Things were looking good.  
  
  
"How do I look?" She asked as she entered the kitchen where Youji and Aya waited.   
  
She stood silently by the door dressed in a black halter dress that ended above her knees, showing off her long white legs. Strappy black stilettos, a chiffon wrap and a small purse completed her ensemble. Her long hair was put up in a spiky bun with blue streaks and her face lightly made-up with blush and lip gloss.  
  
Aya nodded in appreciation, while Youji stared at her, open-mouthed.  
  
"You look great," Youji finally said. He elbowed the other man and joked. "See, Aya. I told you that women couldn't resist the Kudou charm. After her initial reaction, she decides that I'm not something to miss out on after all..."  
  
He stopped abruptly when he noticed her glare. She stalked off, going out the backdoor, while Aya shook his head before following her. Youji punched the kitchen counter with his fist.  
  
"Smooth move, Kudou, real smooth," he muttered angrily to himself.  
  
  
Youji danced to the fast music with Keiko, trying to ignore Aya and Kasumi who looked pretty cozy together as they talked to some other people. He hoped that Keiko didn't notice his inattention. Last thing he needed was to get the others mad at him for blowing this job. Fortunately, she was distracted when some men entered the club, which Keiko's rich father had reserved for the night. Figures that he was the owner of the Kurosawa Shipping Corporation. Youji wouldn't have been surprised if the corporation had been involved with the shipping of the drugs.   
  
"Ohhh...now that real fun can begin," Keiko giggled, heading towards the men. "Come on, Youji."  
  
Youji followed her through the dancing crowd under the strobe lights, nodding at Aya and Kasumi. Aya nodded in return and whispered in Kasumi's ear. Youji got to Keiko's side and grabbed her before she could stumble on the steps leading to the club's upper rooms. He didn't realize how stoned she was from the drinks she'd taken until she passed out. After carefully laying her on the couch in an empty room, he stepped out into the corridor to meet Aya and Kasumi as they came up the stairs. He nodded towards a room at the end of the corridor.  
  
"That way."  
  
When Youji opened the door, the three men inside got up in surprise. Youji choked one with his wire, while Aya ran his katana through another, leaving Kasumi with the leader. With a flick of her wrist, she had her hidden stiletto in her hand.  
  
"Kasumi..." The man gasped in surprised.  
  
"Kaji," she said coldly. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised after Kamikaze."  
  
"You killed him!"  
  
"No shit," she said as she kicked his gun out of his hand and stabbed him with her knife. Then, she turned to face a stunned Youji and a blankfaced Aya. Her face could have been carved out of stone. "Shall we finish the job?" She asked in the same cold voice, gesturing at the drugs on the table.  
  
It was easy after that. After taking care of the drugs, they just waltzed back into the party. No one had even noticed they'd gone. They left soon after in Aya's car.  
  
Aya drove in silence through the dark, deserted streets. It was three in the morning. Kasumi sat curled up between him and Youji, head resting on the headrest with eyes closed. Then, she suddenly began to speak, voice expressionless and face blank.  
  
"I knew him like I knew Kamikaze. We...we were friends. Except that Kamikaze was more than a friend. He was my fiance. ...I didn't know...what they were, what they did...until they killed him...killed my father..." Her voice broke. Aya squeezed her hand comfortingly and she squeezed back in gratitude. She cleared her throat and continued. "He wasn't my real father...my real father was Russian like my mother...they were acrobats in the circus...after my father died, my mother met and later married the Japanese ambassador in Russia..."  
  
"Kenji Minamoto."  
  
"Yes. I thought you'd figure that out, Aya. ...when my mother died, he legally adopted me...gave me his name. ...He wasn't like them, you know...wasn't yakuza... When they asked him to work with them, he refused...so they killed him...I wouldn't have known if I hadn't seen Kamikaze that night...he killed my father...so I...I killed him."  
  
Aya put an arm over her shoulder, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Kissing her lightly on her head, he whispered.  
  
"It's alright. I understand."  
  
Youji had never felt so alone.  
  
  
After wiping out the people involved in the drug deals, including Keiko's father, it was quiet for a time with the exception of a few small jobs.   
  
Kasumi later graduated and worked part-time at the flower shop that was Weib's cover, Koneko no Sumu Ie (Kitten in the House). The rest of the time, she overlooked the management of her late father's company, Minamoto Manufacturers Inc. She'd recovered it after Kamikaze's death because he'd taken over the company when he'd killed her father. Now, she'd placed an old trusted friend of her father in control. He regularly sent half of the profit to her Swiss account, which was under the name of a non-exsistent charity fund. So, there was really nothing to link her to the company. And as far as everyone knew, she'd left Japan to live abroad, and she liked it that way.   
  
Weib was her life and family now. Although she'd become close to all of them, she was still closest to Aya. She now knew how a yakuza called Takatori had killed his parents and ran over his sister Aya-chan, putting her in a coma. She also knew how he'd taken her name so that he'd always remember her and the man who did this to her. Even though he'd already killed Takatori, the Schwartz, another assassin group who'd worked for the man, was still out there. And Weib knew that it wouldn't be long before they met up with their archenemies again.   



	3. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: I don't own Weib or the kawaii(cute) guys in it (I wish...), but, I do own Kasumi Minamoto/Russian.  
  
Characters:  
Japan:  
Weib, good assassin group out to rid Japan of its scum -  
Aya Fujimiya, aka Abyssinian (real name: Ran) - katana(sword)-weilding redhead  
Youji Kudou, aka Balinese - wire-handling blonde with green eyes  
Ken Hidaka, aka Siberian - tiger-claw user with brown hair and eyes  
Omi Tsukiyono, aka Bombay - arrows/bow gun/darts user with blonde hair and blue eyes  
Persia - leader of Weib  
Birman - Persia's secretary  
Kasumi Minamoto, codename: Russian (Blue) - acrobatic assassin who uses a stiletto and twin admantium fans  
  
Aya-chan - Aya/Ran's comatose younger sister, who'd been ran over by Takatori; the reason for Aya's joining Weib, he has taken on her name and wears one of her earrings to remind himself of her  
Sakura - a young woman with a past involving Weib; she has a striking resemblance to Aya's younger comatose sister, Aya-chan, as well as, a crush on the really kawaii redhead  
Asuka - Youji's former crush who he thought had died when they were working together as private detectives; apparently, she lost her memory and joined the female assassin group Schreient; when the two groups fought each other, Youji was forced to kill her  
  
Retribution III  
  
"Russian."  
  
"Yes, Abyssinian," Kasumi answered.  
  
"Two of our targets are heading your way. Think you can handle them?"  
  
"You think?"   
  
"Balinese is your backup."  
  
"Gotcha."  
  
She looked below from her position in the rafters of the warehouse, two businessmen entered and headed for the contraband weapons. Weib's mission was clear. Kill the men behind the imports and destroy the weapons. She thought that it was a waste of weapons, but they couldn't exactly send them to the military as an early Christmas present.   
  
She leapt down onto some wooden crates and from there to behind the unsuspecting pair. She silently broke the neck of the slower one and then stabbed the other one. Balinese left his look out post and helped her drag the bodies behind the crates. They watched from the shadows as the remaining targets entered. By the time they realized that something was wrong, it was too late. Abysinnian and Siberian made short work of them. Soon after, Bombay came out of the offices where he'd been hacked into the warehouse's computer to get the shipment files. Then, they set up the explosives, leaving before they could go off. They watched from a nearby building as the warehouse exploded. Then, they disappeared into the shadows. Their work was done.  
  
  
Alone in her own room, she peeled off the black bodysuit that she wore on missions and wiped off her black face paint. She turned on the shower and waited for the water to reach the right temperature before stepping into the warm spray. Massaging her tired arms and shoulders, she took a long, leisurely bath. She carefully scrubbed herself clean, wishing that she could just as easily scrub away the guilt and pain she felt.  
  
Another job successfully accomplished, another man's blood on her hands. Somewhere a child had lost a father or a father a child. But, that was the way of the world.  
  
She'd been with Weib for a year now and had taken on the codename Russian from the cat Russian Blue. She found it funny that her codename was the same as her nationality, not that anyone would know upon meeting her. After living in Japan under the care of her adopted father, she seemed like just another Japanese. Only her blue eyes could give her away, but being with guys who had purple, green, blue, and brown eyes helped.   
  
And no one would ever suspect she wasn't really Japanese from the way she spoke the native tongue fluently and with no accent whatsoever. Not that she'd forgotten the tongue of her motherland, but that could be easily brushed off by others as just another of the languages she spoke fluently. A linguist, she spoke Russian as well as English, French, and German.   
  
Languages was just one of her talents. She was also proficient in the fields of martial arts and acrobatics. The team had found her talents useful in the field. Off the field, however, when they worked by day as florists, she was silent and aloof with a woman's natural flair for floral arrangements. She worked in the background with Aya, silent but alert.  
  
She finally stepped out of the shower and turned off the water. Watching the water go down the drain, she slipped into a warm and comfortable woolen robe. She cleared the fogged up window and began to towel her hair dry. Upon hearing a knock on the door, she left the bathroom to open it. She was only mildly surprised to see Youji, who flushed slightly upon seeing what she wore. She absently wondered if he'd really been a playboy before she'd joined Weib.  
  
"I thought you'd like some coffee," he said almost shyly, handing her a steaming mug of the hot liquid.  
  
"Thanks, Youji," she said with a small smile. He nodded and opened his mouth as if to say something more, but instead he shook his head and turned away.  
  
She'd only started to call them by their first names recently as they'd gotten closer. Aya'd even let her call him by his real name, Ran. However, only she had that privelege and the others continued to call him Aya. Youji used to wonder if Aya liked Kasumi because, like another girl called Sakura, she reminded him of his innocent younger sister. Now, however, he doubted it because Kasumi had long lost her innocence. At times, she could be as cold and unfeeling as Aya was.   
  
Sakura, on the other hand, retained her innocence despite the incident that led them to meet her. It had been before Kasumi. Sakura had been the victim of a doctor who stole people's organs to sell on the black market. She'd been fortunate not to lose a vital organ, although she hadn't had the same stamina as before when she was a track runner. She obviously had a crush on Aya from the start, but Aya'd ignored her and she later left to study abroad on a scholarship. They hadn't heard from her since then.  
  
As Youji walked towards his room, Aya walked past him and stopped at her door, knocking on it. Youji said nothing, but his heart ached. Although he knew that the relationship between the two was completely platonic, he couldn't help but feel jealous of the close bond that they obviously shared. And sometimes, when he lay in bed alone, he wondered if there was something more going on between the two.  
  
Aya entered the room at the sound of her soft voice. She sat dressed in a soft robe on the couch, a cup of hot coffee held tightly in her white hands. He sat down next to her, putting a arm over her shoulder as she rested her head on his shoulder. Then, she began to speak. Usually she spoke about her life before Weib or simple things that had happened that day. When she'd fininshed, he'd talk about his family and his sister.  
  
Both of them enjoyed those talks after each mission. They somehow found it therapeutic. A way to salve the pain of taking away another person's life, no matter that the person deserved it. Although neither would admit it, they knew that they needed these talks in order to keep on going. She needed someone to comfort her as much as he needed someone to comfort, like he had in the past with his sister.  
  
And so the night wore on, but the morning found all of Weib fast asleep in their own beds...with the exception of a tall blond man as he smoked yet another cigarette in the quiet of his room.  
  
  
Kasumi's long, delicate fingers selected another long-stemmed white rose and carefully added it the wedding arrangement she was making. As she worked, her pale hands never still, she watched out of the corner of her eye the tall blond man, who watered some orchids.  
  
She and Youji had become closer since they'd first meet, but there was still a wall between them and she couldn't help but feel that it was her fault. Oh, she knew that it WAS her fault. She herself had put up the wall in order to protect herself from getting hurt again. But, she hadn't realized until now that she was hurting him, too.  
  
She'd noticed that although he was charming and a complete gentleman to the girls that came to the shop, he never flirted with any of them. He was quiet and withdrawn, which according to the others was unusual for Youji. Even Birman had commented on it and Kasumi had not missed the slight flush that colored his cheeks when Birman had teased him about having a secret unrequited love.  
  
She knew that she was tormenting him with the close relationship she shared with Aya. Youji probably suspected that they were more than close friends. That wasn't true. But it wasn't like she'd done anything to suggest otherwise. Aya, although he'd noticed the change in Youji, hadn't realized that it was because of them. But, SHE knew and still she did nothing.   
  
Her head jerked up in surprise and her hand paused in midair when Aya knocked over the vase he'd been using. She automatically caught it before it could crash to the floor, then looked to see what had caused his distress.  
  
She blinked in surprise to see a girl that could easily have passed as her twin sister. Long dark hair in a single braid down her back. Big blue eyes. Tall and slim with a fair complexion.   
  
The other girl's pale cheeks had a rosy glow to it and Kasumi put it down as coming from a stay in colder climates. The girl stopped directly in front of Aya, ignoring Kasumi's presence completely.  
  
"Sakura...it's been a long time...." Aya said slowly.   
  
Kasumi couldn't help but smile at his well-hidden nervousness. No one but she could notice it. Sakura must be the girl that Aya'd told her about in passing. So, Aya wasn't exactly indifferent to the girl after all. He'd probably pushed her away, thinking that it was for the best if she didn't get involved with Weib.  
  
"Yes...well, I just came back from England today and I thought...I thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing."  
  
"I'm fine...oh, and this is Kasumi Minamoto. She's new here."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Sakura said haltingly, obviously unsure what to make of the other girl's presence. The look of jealousy that quickly flashed in her eyes was not completely lost on Kasumi.  
  
"The pleasure's all mine. I'm so glad to finally meet you. Ran's told me so much about you."  
  
"He has?" Sakura blushed with pleasure, looking at the equally flustered - though not showing it - Aya.  
  
"Yes. Now, I'm sure that you have a lot to catch up on. Why don't you go out for lunch together? Go on."  
  
"Well..." Sakura said looking nervously at Aya.  
  
"But, Kasumi..." Aya protested, a look of panic in his eyes.  
  
"Oh, come on, Ran. When was the last time you went out? I can cover for you. Don't worry," she said pretending to misunderstand his panic at being alone with Sakura for a worry about leaving the shop.  
  
"Kasumi's right, Aya," Omi said in agreement as he rang up an order. Ken nodded from behind Omi as he wrapped up the order of brilliant purple irises.  
  
Finally, Aya left with one last nervous look at Kasumi. All the while, Youji watched in silence from his place among the flowers. His lingering doubts about Aya and Kasumi being more than friends slowly died. As he looked intently at her smirking face, she suddenly turned to meet his green eyes with her blue ones. The smirk quickly faded from her face as she flushed under his unwavering gaze and her eyes lowered. She quickly turned away to fumble with the unfinished flower arrangement, his gaze never leaving her.  
  
"Oi(Hey)! Watch it will you!" Omi shouted as the watering can sprayed cold water on him.  
  
"Sorry, Omi. it's just that you're so pretty that I thought you were another flower," Youji teased Omi's cute blond looks, trying to cover his inattention.  
  
"Right, Youji. We ALL know what pretty flower you were really thinking about." Ken smirked as Youji turned red and Omi laughed.   
  
But, none saw the pleased smile on Kasumi's own flushed face.   
  
  
Just when things were looking good, they started going down the drain. If their previous mission had gone without a hitch, their next one was a bloody mess. There wasn't enough information to begin with. Then, the weather disrupted their communications and they couldn't coordinate with each other.  
  
"What's that, Siberian?" Russian asked.  
  
"...targets...behind...the schedule..."  
  
"What?" She couldn't understand what he was saying over the cackling of the frequency and the booming thunder.  
  
"...targets..."  
  
She suddenly whirled around from her position at the roof of the building across the targeted building. Back flat against the short concrete edge of the building, she warily studied her surroundings with her night vision goggles, rain blurring everything.   
  
There were times that she heard faint voices in her head, alerting her to things before they happened. It had first started at the age of twelve when her mother had died of cancer. Refusing to believe she was crazy, she'd kept it to herself, but listened to the voices never knowing them to be wrong. Up to now, no one knew about them. And now, they told her that something was wrong.  
  
"Russian!"  
  
"Abysinnian! What's wrong?"  
  
She looked back down below at the opposite roof where Abysinnian was supposed to be. A flash of lighting illumined the roof. She looked across, straining to see despite the pouring rain. There was no one there. She looked wildly around. Where the hell was he?  
  
"Abysinnian? Where are you?"  
  
"...abort...abort..."  
  
Shit. What the hell had happened? She went down the roof, using a line similar to the one she used the night she killed Kamikaze. With her dark suit, she was practically indistinguishable in the dark. When she got to their meeting point, she found Ken and Omi kneeling on the ground, blocking her view of something...no someone.   
  
"Ran..." Fear was clearly written on her face. No...not again... Flashes of memory ran through her mind. Her father's gun-riddled body in the car. The figures that rode off in another car, while she ran towards her father. The scream that would not leave her lips and the knowledge that it was too late...too late for her to do anything. The old sickening feeling of helplessness overwhelmed her, making her want to vomit.   
  
"Kasumi..." Youji grabbed her by the arm before she could get close to the others.  
  
Pulled back to reality, she roughly pulled away from him, her face now a mask of stone. She forcefully shoved the memories away to the back of her mind. They were forgotten for now. She pushed Omi aside and examined Aya. He leant against a wall, face pale and drawn in pain. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, blood giving his torn black trenchcoat a shiny gloss. His attempt to smile became a pained grimace.  
  
"Ran no baka (Stupid Ran)," she chided grimly. "How could you get yourself shot?" She ignored his protests as she tore her suit and bound his wound tightly with the torn cloth to stop the bleeding. "I can always get a new suit. Can you get up?"  
  
He nodded, leaning against the wall for support. Ken moved forward to offer help that was waved away. Then, Aya slumped forward and almost fell. This time he didn't protest when Ken and Omi went to help him. The two carefully laid him in the backseat of the car and Kasumi got in after him, resting his head on her lap. She brushed away a stray red lock from his pale face. Her forehead was wrinkled with worry and her eyes ran over his body with concern, noting where another bullet had grazed his neck.  
  
Ken and Omi squeezed in with Youji at the front. No one spoke as Youji drove them back to the shop and their rooms above. The raging storm outside was nothing compared to the turmoil inside the silent assassins.  
  
  
...no...not again...  
  
Tears began to stream down her cheeks unnoticed as the realization that she could lose Aya sunk in. She sat silently by his unconcious form. He'd gone into shock soon after they'd arrived. Fortunately, Omi had the presence of mind to call Birman and ask her to send a doctor in league with them.   
  
The doctor's face had been grave as he examined Aya. He'd bandaged the wounds properly and inserted an IV in Aya's arm to help him recover sooner. It turned out that Aya'd lost a lot of blood and the doctor wasn't sure when he'd come back to conciousness.  
  
Kasumi held his hand tightly, her long, bloodstained fingers intertwined with his. She hadn't changed since they'd come back. Her bodysuit tainted with blood - his blood - went unnoticed. Her hair had come loose from its bun and tumbled down onto her shoulders.  
  
The old memories came back to haunt her.   
  
...the ride in the ambulance next to her father's bleeding body...so much blood...too much blood...the shouts of the blue-clad doctors and nurses as he was rushed into the emergency room...the bright lights and the swinging doors...shutting her out...leaving her alone...alone in the empty waiting room...white washed walls...the long hours of waiting...just waiting...the young doctor...too young...his soft, gentle voice...the blood spattered on his blue mask...her father's blood...so much blood...too much blood...what was he saying?...he was dead...her father was dead...she was alone...alone...no father...no mother...not even a lover...only a traitor...the face that had looked back in the speeding car...his face...her lover's face...Mikagami...Kamikaze...one and the same...it hurts...make the hurt stop, daddy...daddy...daddy, where are you?...I don't want to be alone...  
  
Her gaze didn't leave Aya's face as Youji silently entered the room. He placed a mug of steaming coffee on the table next to her, looking at her with concern. Her face was pale and drawn with worry for the redheaded man. He quickly pushed away the sudden feeling of resentment and jealousy for the other man. He knew the truth. He knew that Aya and Kasumi weren't more than friends, but still he couldn't help envy their closeness. He felt shut out. There was something between them that he could never share or understand. And there was nothing but friendship between him and Kasumi. He wanted so much more than she was willing to give.  
  
"He'll be alright, right?" Kasumi suddenly turned to look up at him, her eyes rimmed red from crying.  
  
"He'll be alright," he reassured her, pushing the mug closer to her. "Drink this. It'll make you feel better."  
  
"Thank you," she said before taking a sip. She turned back to look at Aya as Youji moved behind her, squeezing her shoulders comfortingly. He was surprised when she leant against him. Then, noticing her tension, he massaged her shoulders in an attempt to relax her.   
  
"Why don't you go and take a bath?" He asked softly. "You need to change and relax a little. You won't do much good just sitting here. I'll stay here if you want and call you if there's a change in his condition."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Promise."   
  
She sighed softly then got up, accepting a brief hug from him before she slipped away. Taking her seat by the bed, Youji whispered.  
  
"You don't know how lucky you are, Aya."  
  
  
Light creeped into the room through the closed blinds, waking Kasumi where she rested. Curled up in Aya's armchair, she yawned and stretched out to see Aya wide awake in bed, a slight smile on his face. She smiled back, relaxing once more under the warmth and comfort of Youji's coat. She turned to see Youji's sleeping figure on the couch behind her and smiled fondly.  
  
"He loves you, you know," Aya said, his voice cracked.  
  
"I know..."  
  
"You can't be afraid forever, Kasumi...you shouldn't be afraid to live...and to love. He's hurting...just like you. You need each other."  
  
She nodded as she watched the steady rise and fall of the sleeping man's chest. Then, she smiled slyly and looked back at her redheaded friend.  
  
"Like you need Sakura."  
  
He closed his eyes wearily and softly repeated.  
  
"Like I need Sakura..."  
  
  
Kasumi bit her lip, trying to keep from laughing out loud. But, Youji and Aya were so cute when they were nervous!   
  
The two guys had asked her and Sakura out on a double-date. Considering that it was the first real date for both couples, they all thought that it would be a good idea. So, here they were in a romantic restaurant at the water-front. Seated by the window, they had a beautiful view of the water lighted by the starry night. Not that anyone was enjoying the view.   
  
The guys, even the reformed playboy Youji, looked like they were going to have heart attacks. They'd mumble unintelligibly and looked anywhere but at their dates, picking at the tempura they'd ordered. Kasumi was starting to believe that their faces were permanently red in color. She could hardly repress her laughter, while Sakura wasn't any help at all. She just sat still, face flushed and eyes lowered.  
  
Finally, Kasumi cleared her throat and everyone looked expectantly at her.  
  
"So...how did you like England, Sakura?"  
  
The other girl looked gratefully at her, having been given the opportunity to speak about a safe topic in which she was knowledagable.  
  
"It was beautiful. The architecture was magnificent and the gardens were wonderful."  
  
"Did you just stay in England or did you go around Europe too?"  
  
"I went around. I went to the Kremlin in Russia...the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame in France... It was great...but I still like it here the most. I went to bed at night thinking about the cherry blossoms in the spring...the green tea ice cream in the summer... I missed a lot of things."  
  
"And people," Kasumi slyly added. Sakura blushed again, peering at Aya from under her lowered eyelashes.  
  
"Yes... So, how did you meet Aya and the others, Kasumi?" Sakura asked in an attempt to change the subject.  
  
Kasumi's smile slipped for a moment before it quickly returned brighter than before.  
  
"At the circus...I met them at the circus. You see, I was in the circus for a short while as an acrobat, like my parents before me."  
  
"Oh, what was it like?"  
  
"Fun...and tiring. It reminded me of when I was a little girl, living with my parents in a trailer as we traveled all over Europe. We were always traveling...didn't have a real home...but we were happy..." She didn't realize that her voice had become soft and wistful or that tears had come to her eyes.  
  
"Kasumi?" Youji asked worriedly.  
  
"I'm alright," she said trying to laugh it off as she brushed away the tears. "Silly me! I can be so sentimental."  
  
She knew she wasn't fooling anyone as Youji continued to frown and Aya gave her a look of understanding, even Sakura squeezed her hand comfortingly. She forced herself to smile and slowly it became a real one. The past was the past. It was best left alone. To be remembered not relived. The present was for her to live in with her friends. Aya...Youji...Ken...Omi...even Sakura.   
  
And the future...the future held so much more.  
  
  
Kasumi walked causally down the rail of the cliff overlooking the water, while a wary Youji watched, afraid that she might fall and hurt herself. She smiled mischievously at him, doing a piroutte on the narrow rail and causing his eyes to widen.  
  
The other couple walked behind them at a much slower pace, heads close together as they spoke softly. The dinner had ended pretty well considering its embarrassing beginning. Now, they walked at a leisurely pace towards their parked car.  
  
Kasumi leaped lightly to the ground, landing next to him. Putting an arm over her shoulder, he pulled her close.  
  
"Kasumi," Youji suddenly said softly.  
  
"Nani(What)?"  
  
"Aishiteru(I love you)."  
  
She froze, the old fear slowly growing inside her. She felt like she was drowning and couldn't breathe, the fear stifling her. He stopped walking and pulled her closer, lightly kissing her on the forehead before burying his face in her hair. He whispered so that only she could hear.  
  
"You don't need to say anything, Kasumi. I know it's too soon, but I needed to say it...needed to let you know."  
  
The fear died down a little, allowing her to breathe once more. But, still it remained, a cold reminder of a past betrayal...and perhaps an omen of a future one.  
  
Although the night was warm, she shivered.  
  
  
Aya silently slipped into her room. He knew her door would be open. She sat on the couch in the dark dressed only in her nightgown and a robe. Her violin case sat open atop the coffee table in front of her, but the violin itself lay untouched in its resting place of dark blue velvet. He joined her on the couch and pulled her close.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm scared."  
  
"We're all scared at one time or another. It's just one of those things that makes us know we're human. It's nothing to be ashamed of."  
  
"What if he hurts me...like HE did?"  
  
"Then, I'll run him through with my katana."  
  
"Ran," she chided poutingly. "I'm serious."  
  
"So am I." She sighed softly and buried her head in his shoulder. "...You can't be sure he'll hurt you if you don't give him a chance."  
  
"What if he only sees me a replacement for another girl?"  
  
Aya stiffened next to her and she looked up at him, puzzled by his reaction.  
  
"You know about Asuka?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm.  
  
"No."  
  
"Then, how did you know..."  
  
"Woman's intuition. ...So, there was someone else. He lost her didn't he?" Aya nodded. "That's why he was such a playboy...to try and ease the pain."  
  
"'Was' being the operative word. He hasn't been the same since you came. Kasumi...you don't need to tell me...but what exactly did he tell you tonight?"  
  
"He told me he loved me."  
  
Aya sighed. He hadn't expected Youji to move so fast. Youji must really be in love with her.  
  
"Then, the question is do YOU love him?"  
  
"I don't know, Ran. I don't know." 


	4. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: Wish I could but I obviously don't own the kawaii guys in Weib and Schwartz. Don't own the X-men, but I am the proud creator of Kasumi Minamoto/Russian.  
  
Characters:  
Japan:  
Weib, good assassin group out to rid Japan of its scum -  
Aya Fujimiya, aka Abyssinian (real name: Ran) - katana(sword)-weilding redhead  
Youji Kudou, aka Balinese - wire-handling blonde with green eyes  
Ken Hidaka, aka Siberian - tiger-claw user with brown hair and eyes  
Omi Tsukiyono, aka Bombay - arrows/bow gun/darts user with blonde hair and blue eyes  
Persia - leader of Weib  
Birman - Persia's secretary  
Kasumi Minamoto, codename: Russian (Blue) - acrobatic assassin who uses a stiletto and twin admantium fans  
  
Schwarz, bad assassin group and enemy of Weib -  
Brad Crawford - American, power: precognition  
Shuldrich - German redhead, power: telepathy, mind/dream control, super-speed  
Nagi - Japanese, power: telekinesis  
Farfello - Irish psychotic sadist, power: feels no pain  
  
America:  
X-men, good mutants under Charles Xavier -  
Charles Xavier - telepath and founder of the group  
Wolverine - healing powers and admantium claws; due to healing powers and suffered trauma, his past is unclear and his true age unknown, known only as Logan  
  
/ / - German  
* * - French  
~ ~ - Japanese  
  
Retribution IV  
  
Another night, another mission.  
  
It had been a month since their botched up mission and having taken care of it, they were on a new one. It involved a hi-tech computer software that was being smuggled out of the country to be sold on the black market. This software was created for the Japanese military to control their latest weaponry. However, the creator had stolen it from the military base he worked in with the intent to sell it to the highest bidder.  
  
Russian looked down from her post at the roof of the building across the warehouse. It was at the run-down warehouse that the creator would meet his contacts. Abyssinian and Balinese were stationed at the warehouse while Siberian served as backup and Bombay as look-out. A computer freak, Bombay, was the most excited about the mission. He'd get to run through the program before handing it over to Birman. She in turn would give it to Persia, who'd make sure it was returned to its rightful owner.  
  
"Here they come," Bombay said. "...Oh shit."  
  
"What's wrong?" She asked in worry.   
  
She looked below to see the parked black car and a handsome man in his late twenties come out of it. Dressed in an expensive suit and wearing light-framed glasses, he wasn't the target. Probably a bodyguard. The man opened the backdoor of the car to let out their target. The target was followed out of the car by a much younger Japanese man and a strange foreigner with a shock of white hair and an eyepatch. The driver came out next, a redheaded German with his shades perched on his head.  
  
The voices in her head cried out once more. Danger.  
  
The redheaded man looked up to look directly at her, a smirk on his face.  
  
"What is it?" Abyssinian asked impatiently when Bombay didn't speak.  
  
"Schwarz..." He finally hissed in reply.  
  
"Great. Just great," Siberian muttered.  
  
"The redhead just spotted me," Russian cut in.  
  
"Shit," Balinese cursed. "Well, we know what we have to do. Let's just do it."  
  
"Then, what are we waiting for?" Abyssinian said. "Russian. Bombay. Come here."  
  
"No let me come to you." A voice from behind her said.  
  
"Shit."  
  
Russian whirled around in surprise to face the smirking redhead. How the hell did he get here so fast? She flicked open her admantium fan, holding it ready as she eyed the other warily.  
  
"What's the matter, Russian?"  
  
"Looks like carrot-top here wants a one-on-one," she said dryly in reply to Abyssinian's query. She ignored her teammate's curses as she concentrated on the man in front of her. Boy, she would just love to wipe that smirk off his face.  
  
"Actually the name's Schuldrich."  
  
"I know. I've read your files."  
  
"What little Weib has, you mean. We, on the other hand, know so much more about you than you know about us."  
  
"Did you have to study for a degree in smugness or were you born that way?"  
  
"I see you aren't without humor. I must admit that your presence surprised us."  
  
"Oh, so you're going humble on me now?" She said sarcastically. "Please don't. It ruins your image."  
  
"Thank you for telling me. You know, another thing that surprised me is why you joined Weib when you have the potential to be so much greater than them."  
  
"Who I go with is none of you business. And what? Are you trying to subtly offer me a job with you guys? No thanks," she scoffed.  
  
"Don't be so quick to decide, Madchen(girl)."  
  
"Don't patronize me, you sonvab*tch. I'm not a little girl." She said sharply. He tilted his head as if he was listening to a voice only he could here, then he spoke.  
  
"You speak German?"  
  
/Yes. Does it matter? Let's get to business, so that I can kill you. You are beginning to bore me./  
  
/Ah...all business, I see. But, we ARE doing business. Like you said, I'm trying to recruit you./  
  
/And I am NOT interested./  
  
/You should be...you are like me, you know./  
  
/I'm nothing like you./  
  
/Oh, I'm hurt. Really I am. ...Have you ever heard voices in your head - voices that tell you things...things about those around you? You have, I know./ He laughed loudly at the look of restrained fury on her face, but still her fan did not move. /You don't belong with Weib. Aya...I mean Ran...has Sakura now. He doesn't need you anymore./  
  
/That's not true./ She protested.  
  
/And Youji? Well, once a playboy, always a playboy. And you know the truth. You're just a replacement. He'll never stop loving Asuka. Imagine. Whenever he touches or kisses you, he's thinking about her. Not you. HER./  
  
/No...no...that's a lie...he loves me...he told me so.../  
  
/Oh, come on. Don't lie to yourself. He must say that to every girl he's attracted to. And as for the others? Ken and Omi? Well, they were doing fine before you came along. What makes you think they'll miss you? Face it. You're better of with us. You're special like we are. And you're like me. You have the gift...the gift of telepathy and mind control. Would you like me to teach you? I could show you how to use your gift, instead of letting it use you. Imagine the power of being able to hear another's thoughts and to control them. Imagine the power.../  
  
/And at what price? My soul? My ethics? Everything I believe in!/  
  
/You are young. Such an idealist. but, you must learn that there is no place in life for idealists. Only a place for the strong...for those who know that sometimes you must sacrifice things in order to survive./  
  
/Enough!/ She screamed. She was scared. Her resolve was slowly weakening at his tempting offer. Mind control...that's what it was...mind control...  
  
/No. It is only the truth./  
  
/Liar!/ She let loose her fan, which he barely dodged in time. /Leave me alone!/  
  
/But, you don't like being alone. You know that. And once I teach you how to use your power, you never will be./  
  
/Stay out of my head!/ She wailed, instinctively mind-blasting him with a power she never knew she had.  
  
His face crumpled in pain at the unexpected blast. She whimpered as his unshielded mind screamed in pain for her to hear. He gave her a look of shock before his body fell to the ground with a thud, unconscious.  
  
She staggered back in shock, weakly leaning against the roof's metal railing. She collapsed into a trembling heap, head bent with tears streaming down her cheeks unchecked. She forced herself to calm down, telling herself that everything would be alright.   
  
"Russian? Are you alright?" A faint-sounding voice cried.  
  
She looked at her communicator, which had fallen to the floor earlier. She told herself to calm down as she got up on her shaky legs, holding onto the railing for support. She started to pick the communicator up, then stopped and turned away, ignoring the frantic voice. She bit her lip, a look of determination on her face.  
  
She knew what she had to do.  
  
  
Youji sat at the kitchen table, head buried in his hands, while Aya leaned against the wall with an unreadable expression on his face. Ken and Omi exchanged worried looks, unsure of what to do. They'd regrouped soon after the Schwarz had surprisingly retreated with the target still alive. Upon discovering that Kasumi was missing, they'd frantically searched the surrounding area with no success. There was no sign that she'd even been there.  
  
They all jumped in surprise at the phone's high-pitched ringing. Omi grabbed it shakily with everyone staring intently at him.  
  
"Hello?" He croaked.  
  
"Omi, it's me."  
  
"Kasumi?!? Where've you been? We've been worried sick..."  
  
Before he could continue his tirade, Youji snatched the phone from him with Aya right behind him.  
  
"Kasumi, where the hell are you?"  
  
"I need to be alone for some time, Youji," she said softly. He'd never heard her sound so vulnerable. He strained to hear the background noise. The muffled buzz of rushing people and a loudspeaker. What was it saying? A flight...the airport...where was she going?  
  
"Kasumi, what did that bastard do to you?" He begged, half-frantic.  
  
"I'll come back when I'm ready...I promise," she continued as if she hadn't heard him. Her voice sounded distant as if she was already far beyond his reach.  
  
"Where are you going, Kasumi? Don't leave me...please," he choked back a sob.  
  
"Goodbye, Youji."  
  
"Kasumi..."   
  
  
Anya Malenkov stood in the midst of the bustling crowd in the New York airport. She stood alone with no baggage, just a borrowed set of clothes and a purse, a forged passport, a false name...and an address.  
  
She popped another painkiller into her mouth, wincing slightly at the bitter aftertaste. Her headache was killing her. After mindblasting the redheaded German, her telepathy had come in full force. Clamoring voices now sounded in her head, driving her half-mad.   
  
...I'm going to be late...shit, I promised Jeanie I'd be home for dinner...where the hell did I put my ticket?...damnit! can't these planes ever take off on time?...  
  
She slowly made her way to the exit and hailed a taxi.  
  
"Where to?" The man with a beer-belly and a soiled shirt asked, wiping his nose with an already filthy handkerchief.  
  
"1604 Greymalkin Lane, Salem Center, Westchester County."  
  
He gave her a curious look, but she was already looking out the window with a far-off look on her face. She leaned back on the leather carseat with half its stuffing coming out. The voices weren't so loud now. When there was only a few people around, she found it easier to block out other people's thoughts, but there was still a faint buzzing in the back of her mind.  
  
...pretty lady...wonder what she wants with those mutants...must be one of them...funny...she doesn't look like one...but you can't tell nowadays...wonder if she tips big...frankly I've got nothing against them...but some of them are really whacked out...I hope Mellie makes some pot roast tonight...boy, do I love that woman's pot roast...  
  
She smiled wryly to herself. A mutant...that's what she was...  
  
  
She watched the taxi speed away into the dark, then looked warily at the big mansion behind the tall iron gates. She firmly pressed the intercom button and waited for someone to reply.  
  
"Qu'est-ce que c'est(What is it)?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow in surprise at the accented voice and the fluent French used. Probably a Cajun from down south. But, undoubtably American.  
  
*I'm here to see Logan.*  
  
There was a brief pause and a stifled gasp on the other end.  
  
*I see. And you are?*  
  
*A friend from Japan.*  
  
Another surprised gasp. A friend of Logan...a Japanese woman who spoke fluent French?  
  
She gave a slight smile as the gates swung open, then began the long walk up the drive. By the time, she reached the front door, she was exhausted. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. She wearily rang the doorbell, grimacing at the loud ring that could be heard from within. The door immediately opened to reveal a tall handsome man with a ladykiller grin on his face.  
  
*I am Remy LeBeau. And you are?*  
  
She opened her mouth to speak when the soft buzz of voices rose up again in an overwhelming wave of noise. She tried to speak again. Then, everything went black and for once the voices were silent.  
  
  
...Logan's friend...he's gone off again...Jubilee...they had a fight...she's grown up...the woman's from Japan...she needs help...a mind barrier...strong...but with holes in it...pretty good for an amateur...latent telepathy...someone ripped through her mind...the telepathy emerged...she's lucky...strong mind and will...  
  
She listened to the soft voices that spoke, pushing away those that spoke in her head. Three people. The Cajun. Another man with a deep voice. A woman with a gentle voice. What had happened? She remembered Shuldrich manipulating her and her telepathy emerging. Her heart ached at the memory of leaving Weib and saying goodbye. Getting the things she needed from Yukio. The tiring airplane trip across the ocean. The taxi ride. The Cajun at the door. Fainting in his arms. She blushed at the memory of it.  
  
Should she trust these people? Well, Logan obviously did and he was an excellent judge of character.   
  
"Well, it seems that our Sleeping Beauty has awakened." She opened her eyes to see a big, blue furry...man?...hovering over her. The Cajun and a stunning woman with hair the color of Aya's stood behind him, concern written on their faces. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Never been better," she smiled weakly, pushing herself up on the white bed. Apparently, she was in some kind of infirmary.  
  
"I must say that you've got an amazing recovery rate. You weren't even out for an hour. And from what we know of you, you've been through quite an ordeal."  
  
"What do you know of me?" Her voice was deceptively calm, but inside she was at an edge. She stared intently at the redheaded woman. Kasumi immediately recognized her as one who also possessed 'the gift'. What had this woman drawn from her head while she lay unconscious?  
  
"Only what Gambit's told us..."  
  
"I thought his name was Remy?" Kasumi asked suspiciously.  
  
"Gambit is my codename, cherie."  
  
"So, you're a friend of Logan," the other woman continued.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, unfortunately, he isn't around right now and we don't know when he'll be back. ...But, that isn't why you're here, is it?"  
  
"No. I must be broadcasting pretty loudly," Kasumi said with a wry smile.  
  
"Actually, you're mind shielding pretty well, considering that from what I can tell your telepathy has only emerged recently."  
  
Kasumi nodded in agreement.  
  
"I left Japan as soon as it came out. Logan told me about this place before. About how you help mutants who can't control their powers."  
  
"Yes, we'd be glad to help you. It'll take time, but considering how you were able to set up a passable mind shield with no help at all, I'm sure you'll learn quickly." Kasumi let out a sigh of relief that made the redhead smile. "You have friends waiting for you in Japan?"  
  
"I hope so," she muttered, causing them to give her a strange look.  
  
"So, what is the petite's name? She has one, noh?" The Cajun finally spoke up to break the uneasy silence.  
  
"Oh yes, and how rude of us not to introduce ourselves," the blue beastlike man spoke. "I'm Doctor Hank McCoy. This is Jean Grey Summers. And, of course, you've met our resident charmer, Remy."  
  
"I'm Kasumi Minamoto." She smiled as the Cajun kissed her hand. The resident charmer, huh?   
  
...Youji...   
  
A look of pain crossed her face.   
  
"Is the petite alright?" The man asked worriedly.  
  
"Yes. Just a slight headache," she fibbed, hoping that the other telepath wouldn't see through her lie.  
  
"Maybe, you should get some more rest," the woman said kindly as the blue-haired doctor nodded in agreement. The two silently left so that Kasumi and the Cajun were alone.  
  
"Rest, petite. We can talk tomorrow."  
  
He patted her hand gently before he too left. As she watched his silent tread, she immediately noted. A thief...but what is a thief compared to an assassin? She thought bitterly. This place has strange people in it...and I'm just another one. Then, she searched the room with her eyes for her purse. There on the table by the door. She slipped out from under the bed covers and examined the purse. Untouched. Good. What would they think if her name did not match her passport? What then?  
  
  
She sat at the window seat of the spare room she'd been given. It was a beautiful day. Looking out of the window, she saw Remy, Hank and two women playing volleyball outside. One of the women, the one with auburn hair and a skunklike streak going through it, spiked the ball over the net. The other woman with coffee-colored skin laughed at something Hank said as she returned the volley.  
  
Then, Kasumi's gaze wandered to the small dock just beyond the volleyball court. A slim, dark-haired figure sat alone on one of the dock's stout wooden posts. She lightly reached out with her mind, proving her suspicion of knowing the girl to be correct. The girl was the one Logan often spoke of. Jubilee. She was really more of a young woman than a girl. Kasumi wondered what she and Logan had fought about. Logan had always spoken of the other woman in the best of terms.  
  
Kasumi turned as she heard the sound of knocking at her door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
"Hello, Kasumi," Jean said with a smile. "I thought you'd like to start your lessons now."  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
"Follow me."  
  
As they walked down the carpeted hall and stairs, Kasumi carefully studied her surroundings and memorized distinctive features. A person could get lost in a house of this size. Finally, they stopped in front of a big oak door on which Jean knocked softly. She opened the door after a moment although no voice had asked them to enter. Telepathy... Kasumi guessed. She followed Jean into the spacious study to find a tall man with strange red eyewear and a bald-headed man behind a large, ornate desk.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, young lady. I'm sorry that I wasn't here for your arrival. I was away on business and only returned this morning," the man at the desk said with a smile.  
  
She nodded politely in reply. Jean moved to stand next to the other man by the French windows that opened to the extensive grounds.  
  
"Kasumi," the other woman said, looking fondly at the tall man, "This is my husband, Scott Summers, and this..." Turning to the man at the desk. "...is Professor Charles Xavier. He is the owner of this mansion, as well as, our mentor. This is Kasumi Minamoto, a friend of Logan. Her telepathy has emerged just recently and she has come to ask for help in controlling it."  
  
"I see. Leave us," the professor said to the other two. Kasumi smiled wistfully, thinking of how much he sounded like her father. When Jean and her husband had left, he came out from behind the desk. She looked in surprise as he emerged in a strange hovering device. "This must be a great change for you. But, you're taking it remarkably well."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"So, you want to learn how to control your telepathy?"  
  
"Yes...and..."  
  
"And..." He prodded encouragingly.  
  
"I think I may have the power to control people's minds, too." The words came out in a rush. What would he think of her? She didn't know why she was so worried of what he thought of her.  
  
"I see... Mind control is often found with telepathy. But, still such cases of the power are rare." She shifted uncomfortably under his solemn gaze. Then, unexpectedly he asked, "Do you think you're a good person, Kasumi?"  
  
"I believe so." She thought that she could see where this conversation was headed and she wasn't sure she liked it.  
  
"There aren't a lot of good people nowadays," he remarked sadly as he moved to the big windows to look outside. "And, of course, even they aren't completely good. I don't think anyone can claim they are. ...The power to listen and control other people's thoughts is a great responsibility."  
  
"With great power comes great responsibility," she said wryly, thinking that it was the appropriate thing to say.  
  
"Yes." He smiled. "From what I've heard and seen of you, I think that you are a good person at heart, Kasumi. But, there are shadows in you, too."  
  
"Yes," she whispered softly, turning away to watch the people at play outside. She hesitated for a moment before asking. "Does that mean you won't teach me?"  
  
"Of course not," he said, obviously surprised. "You came here for help and I'm not going to deny it from you...especially since it would be better if you learned how to use it properly..."  
  
"Instead of letting some maniac teach me and corrupt me in the process..." She said dryly, turning to look back at him. She repressed a smile when she noticed his slight blush.  
  
"That isn't the way I'd put it..."  
  
"But, it's the same thing, right?'  
  
The professor sighed.   
  
"Once you learn how to use your power, it is really up to you on how you'll use it. Just do what you think is best. You'd just better hope that I'm not some maniac..." He muttered the last with a faint smile on his face. She let her smile show this time. Then, he took a deep breath and continued. "I know that at times, this power seems more like a curse than a blessing. I'd be the first one to admit that the life of a telepath isn't easy. Sometimes, you're so tempted to listen in on a person's thoughts or to change a person's thinking just a little bit. ...Go with your better judgement. No matter how good the cause may seem, don't believe that the end justifies the means. Please understand that I'm not trying to force you into my way of thinking, I just want you to do what YOU think is right."  
  
She nodded in understanding. She'd relaxed since she'd entered the room. This man or the redheaded woman was not like Shuldrich. They wanted to help her for her sake. They wouldn't go through her mind without her consent or force her to think in a certain way. She chided herself when she realized that the professor was still speaking.  
  
"One of the benefits of telepathy is that you don't have to worry about telephone bills," the professor gave her a boyish grin at that, which she gladly returned. "Another is the special bond with a person that allows you to share that person's mind almost completely."   
  
As he said this, he smiled paternally at Jean and Scott who'd gone outside. The two were sitting cuddled together at a loveseat, watching the people at the volleyball court. They were silent, but love and happiness radiated from them at such a degree that Kasumi easily felt it. However, it didn't have the same effect on her as it did with the professor. She looked away with a pained expression on her face.   
  
...Youji...  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine." She avoided the professor's curious look and quickly changed the subject. Pointing to the young woman at the dock, she asked, "Is that Jubilee?"  
  
The professor sighed softly and nodded.  
  
"Logan's told you about her?"  
  
"Yes. He always spoke of her in the best terms yet I've heard that he left because they had a fight. What could she do to make him angry enough to leave?"  
  
"I don't think Logan's angry. Scared is more likely."  
  
Kasumi raised an eyebrow at that.  
  
"Are we talking about the same person? I've never heard the word 'scared' attributed to Logan."  
  
"Probably not. But, I think that he's...how do you young people call it?...'in denial' when it comes to his feelings for Jubilee."  
  
Kasumi's forehead furrowed in a frown.  
  
"But..." ...what about Mariko?... Echoed in her mind.  
  
Sensing her distress, he looked at her in worry.  
  
"But what?"  
  
Kasumi opened her mouth to speak, but was at a loss on what to say exactly. It really was no business of hers. She had no right to interfere with a possible relationship between Logan abd this woman. Mariko had passed away some time ago and Kasumi was sure that her friend would want Logan to be happy. So, if this other woman made him happy, who was she to object?  
  
"Mariko was my friend," she finally said in a soft voice.  
  
"Ahhh..." Understanding came to the professor and he looked worriedly at her.  
  
"But, I know that she'd want Logan to be happy. If Jubilee makes him happy, then..." She shrugged casually. But, she saw that the professor understood and was reassured by her words.  
  
  
A loud knocking at the French windows interrupted them as the professor taught her the last of the basics in mind shielding.   
  
"It's lunchtime, Professor." A cute blonde all-American type guy stood outside with a wide grin.  
  
"Alright, Bobby. We'll be there in a moment."  
  
She followed the professor out to the terrace where a long wooden table was set for lunch. She was uneasy about what the others would think of her. Only the professor, Hank, Remy, and the Summers knew about her and her reason for being there. The others probably wondered who she was and what she was doing at the mansion. Except for those who'd meet her, everyone eyed her curiously.   
  
While the professor headed for his place at the head of the table, Kasumi stood behind the chair that Hank offered. Her face was calm despite all the attention directed at her. Not even her hands, clasped easily at the back of the high-back chair, revealed her nervousness. She smiled gratefully at Remy's sly wink. But, the woman, who'd been his partner at volleyball, obviously didn't appreciate the exchange for she elbowed Remy in the stomach. The professor waited till the curious murmurs died down and gestured towards Kasumi.  
  
"This is Kasumi Minamoto, a friend of Logan. She'll be staying with us for awhile. Kasumi, this is...  
  
...Dr. Cecilia... The smiling coffee-skinned woman on the other side of Hank.  
  
...Rogue... The beautiful Southern woman who'd elbowed Remy.  
  
...Warren... A handsome blue-skinned man with metal wings and an arrogant air.  
  
...Betty... An Asian-looking woman beside him. A ninja, no doubt.  
  
...Bobby... The blonde guy with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.  
  
...Ororo... A stunning African woman with long platinum hair and milk-white orbs as eyes.  
  
...and, of course, you've met Hank, Remy, Scott, and Jean." Then, the professor frowned. "Where's Jubilee?"  
  
"She said she's not hungry," Bobby said.  
  
The professor looked at the lone figure at the dock and shook his head sadly before turning back to them. Only then did they take their seats.  
  
"If your Logan's friend, do ya know where he is?"   
  
Am I just imagining Rogue's hostile tone? Kasumi thought. I don't think so.   
  
And neither did Remy.   
  



	5. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own anyone from Weib or the X-men...*Aya...*, but I do own Kasumi/Anya.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks so much to my friend 'melissa' for letting me use her story 'Circles' in this part of my series. If you've read it, I'm sure you'll recognize it. If you haven't, you should. See the Comics, X-men Section.  
  
Characters:  
Japan:  
Weib, good assassin group out to rid Japan of its scum -  
Aya Fujimiya (real name: Ran) - katana-weilding redhead  
Youji Kudou - wire-handling blonde with green eyes  
Ken Hidaka - tiger-claw user with brown hair and eyes  
Omi Tsukiyono - arrows/bow gun/darts user with blonde hair and blue eyes  
Persia - leader of Weib  
Birman - Persia's secretary  
Kasumi Minamoto (alias: Anya Malenkov) - acrobatic assassin who uses a stiletto and twin admantium fans  
  
Yukio - former yakuza assassin who fell in love with her target Wolverine; superb acrobat and martial artist; a friend of Ororo Munroe aka Storm  
  
America:  
X-men, good mutants under Charles Xavier -  
Charles Xavier - telepath and founder of the group  
Wolverine - healing powers and admantium claws; due to healing powers and suffered trauma, his past is unclear and his true age unknown; known only as Logan  
  
Retribution V  
  
At the X-men Mansion...  
  
"If your Logan's friend, do ya know where he is?"   
  
"No. I don't," Kasumi calmly answered Rogue, ignoring the other woman's hostile tone. Remy, on the other hand, eyed her worriedly. "As a matter of fact, I haven't seen or heard from him for about a year. If he's in Japan, I don't know anything about it."  
  
Kasumi was no fool. It was obvious that there was something going on between the two. Well, they could just go on with it. As soon as she'd learned what she needed to know, it was back to the Land of the Rising Sun. Hopefully, Weib would take her back despite her AWOL.   
  
You mean you hope that the guys will forgive you for ditching them... She thought humorlessly as she nibbled on a piece of garlic bread. ...unless...that damn German was right...and they don't really give a damn.  
  
"How do you know him?" Ororo asked gently, interrupting Kasumi's dark thoughts.  
  
"Mutual friends."  
  
"Then, do you know Yukio?"  
  
Kasumi raised an eyebrow, putting down her cool glass of iced tea.  
  
"Yes, I do." She smiled bemusedly. "Strange, how I managed to be friends with both women who were attracted to him. Then again, there really was no contest between her and Mariko..."  
  
No one asked her anything about her life in Japan after that...something for which she was eternally grateful.  
  
  
Meanwhile at Weib HQ (aka, the Basment)...  
  
"What do you mean you don't know where she is?!?" Youji shouted at Birman.  
  
"Exactly, what I said. We don't know where she is. She bought a ticket under the name of Anya Malenkov for New York. New York's a big city. She could be anywhere there and we don't have the resources or the time to search for her."  
  
"So, you're just going to let her walk out like that?!?"  
  
"Youji..." Birman said slowly, unsure as to how to phrase her words. "...Kasumi was never really one of you."  
  
"What do you mean?!?" Youji and the others glared at her. She shifted uncomfortably at their combined anger, but nonetheless continued.  
  
"Unlike you, Kasumi still has ties to her former life. People know that she's still alive. Her records remain intact, unlike yours, which have been deleted completely. When she accepted our offer to join Weib, she gave the condition that she could leave the group if she wished. And if what you say is right, something happened to make her leave."  
  
"That's why we need to find her! We don't know what that bastard Shuldrich did to her! He could have brainwashed her or something!"  
  
Birman frowned. That idea had come to her and Persia, but even so, there was nothing they could do. Their hands were tied.  
  
"I don't think so." They all turned in surprise to look at Aya who hadn't said a word the entire time. "I heard what she said when she called, same as you. There didn't seem anything wrong with her..."  
  
"Except that she didn't sound anything like herself!" Youji retorted angrily.  
  
"I've heard her sound like that," Aya said flatly, a stubborn look on his face. "When she wanted to be alone, that's how she'd sound. And she definitely asked to be alone."  
  
Youji suddenly grabbed Aya by the collar and slammed him against the wall.  
  
"Don't you give a damn about her! And you call yourself her friend!"  
  
Aya forcefully removed Youji's firm grip on him and pushed the other man away.   
  
"I am her friend and that's the why I'm willing to leave her alone so that she can recover from whatever hell Shuldrich put her through. I know what it's like to have HIM in one's head. Believe me, I know. And I also know, Kasumi's stronger than you think she is. I know that she can take whatever HE threw her way, but I also know that it'll take her time...and time ALONE...to recover. She promised to come back and she will."  
  
With those last words, he left. Birman nodded to herself, convinced...or wanting to be convinced...that what Aya'd said was true. She gave the others one last look before leaving too. Youji punched the wall, ignoring Ken and Omi's concerned looks.  
  
"If they won't do anything, I will." With a look of fierce determination, he stormed out.  
  
  
He pushed his way through the crowd, ignoring the angry looks of the people he shoved. When he got to his destination, he kicked open the door, slamming it behind him and roughly pushing open the hidden panel.  
  
"Where the hell did she go, Yukio?" He growled at the calm ex-assassin as she slowly sipped a cup of steaming tea. "I know you know something. You were the one who gave her the forged passport, weren't you?!?"  
  
Yukio calmly set the cup aside and faced the enraged assassin.  
  
"What would you do if you knew where she was?"  
  
"I'd go to her, of course! What if she needs me?"  
  
"What if she doesn't?"   
  
He looked at her stunned and shakily sat down.  
  
"Was she alright...when she came to you...she was fine?"  
  
"She was fine. Shaken, but fine."   
  
"What do you mean shaken?" She cursed herself. She just had to say that.  
  
The anger left his voice, leaving only the raw fear. His knuckles turned white as he clenched the chair's armrests. The panic had subsided at her reassurance that Kasumi was fine. But, shaken? He remembered her soft, distant voice. She sounded so vulnerable. If he ever got his hands on that German sonavab*tch...  
  
Yukio hesitated. He leaned forward, an anguished look in his eyes.  
  
"Please, Yukio. Tell me where she is," he pleaded. "I need to see for myself that she's alright. If you've ever loved someone, you'll know that I need to do this."  
  
She bit her lip nervously. She did know what he meant.   
  
...Logan...if only you cared...   
  
"I know that you think she's strong enough to manage on her own, but... What if...just what if she can't manage this time? I can't just sit and wait for her to come back. I can't stand to think that she might need me and I'm not there for her. I can't... What if I lose her by staying away? I've lost one woman already. I'm not going to risk losing another. Please...tell me..."  
  
She looked away unable to look into his anguished eyes any longer. To see the pain wrought by love in those green orbs. A pain that she understood too well.   
  
...oh Logan...if only you could feel this way for me...if only you could love me this much...if only...   
  
"1604 Greymalkin Lane, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York...it's a place for mutants."  
  
"Mutants? Why would she..."  
  
"She didn't tell me. But, I think...I think that she's one of them now."  
  
"You're wrong," he said firmly, getting up. "Before she's one of them, she's one of us. One of Weib. ...Thank you, Yukio, for all you've done for me."  
  
With that, he was gone. Alone again, she softly said to herself.  
  
"In that, YOU are wrong. It wasn't for you or even her...it was for what I couldn't have."  
  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
Youji didn't turn at the sound of Aya's voice from the shadows. Having just climbed down his balcony, he picked up the small bag that he'd dropped down first and refused to answer the question put to him.  
  
"I still think that you're wrong...but on the off-chance that you're right...I won't stop you."  
  
Youji finally turned to face the redhead, the other's face had the same inscrutable mask that he always wore.  
  
"Do you think that Birman's going to let you go just like that?" The redhead continued with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"How can she if she doesn't know? And even if she did, nothing can stop me from leaving. Nothing." The redhead just shook his head, but Youji knew that he could trust the other to say nothing.  
  
"How did you get a ticket? You have no records. You don't exsist as far as everyone else is concerned."  
  
Youji smugly took out his forged papers. Kasumi wasn't the only one who knew people. He'd kept in touch with his contacts from his days as a private detective. Shady characters, they didn't care if he was supposed to be dead or not as long as he paid up and did so in cash. He replaced the papers in his pocket and began to walk away. As he did so, he didn't hear the other's whispered words.  
  
"Youji...take care of her."  
  
  
Back at the Mansion, next day...  
  
Kasumi yawned and stretched in her seat by the pool. Watching the others swim, she put down her book and picked up her empty glass of iced tea.   
  
"Wanna join us?" Bobby asked as he pushed Dr. Cecilia into the pool and narrowly dodged Hank's attempt to do the same to him.  
  
"I have a cat's aversion for water." She shook her head with a laugh. Getting up, she asked, "Does anyone want something to drink?"  
  
Receiving a positive reply, she got up to go to the kitchen and refill her glass and the empty pitcher. Humming a popular Japanese tune, she made the iced tea. She didn't stop humming when she sensed someone enter the room. If it hadn't been for her ninja training and telepathy, she wouldn't have noticed the person, so silent was she. Logan had trained the woman well.  
  
"Do you want something, Jubilee?" She asked lightly, not turning around. To her credit, the other woman didn't show any surprise at being noticed.  
  
"Some iced tea would be nice," Jubilee answered in the same casual voice, walking over to stand next to Kasumi by the kitchen counter. After a pause, she asked in an indifferent voice, "So, I've heard that you're friends with Logan...and was close to Mariko, too."  
  
"Yes, I am and I was."  
  
"And you've heard about us..."  
  
Kasumi repressed a smile of amusement. So, Jubilee's taken to addressing herself and Logan as 'us', huh?  
  
"Yes, I have."  
  
"What do you think?" This time Jubilee's voice was tinged with bitterness. "Am I worthy of replacing her?"  
  
Kasumi didn't need to ask who she meant.  
  
"I don't think that a person can ever replace another person. Each person is unique." Her voice became unconciously wistful as she looked off at an unseen point, remembering a certain blonde man with emerald eyes.  
  
Her lapse in attention didn't escape the other woman.   
  
"So, you know what it's like?" Jubilee asked softly, the bitterness gone and replaced with sympathy.  
  
"Yes, I know." Having poured Jubilee a glass of the newly-made iced tea, she turned to face the woman and said in a firm voice. "If you really love him, go for it. I'm not going to stand in your way for Mariko's sake. She'd have wanted him to be happy and if you make him happy..."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You don't need to thank me for anything." Kasumi smiled wryly. "You still gotta win the guy over."  
  
"Perhaps so. But, it'll be easier now that I have the confidence to do it."  
  
"In that case, you're welcome."  
  
Leaving the other woman to work on how she'd win over Logan, Kasumi walked back to the pool, passing by the living room as she did. Hearing the loud voices inside, she stopped to eavesdrop.  
  
"Why do you always push me away, huh? Why can't you understan' dat I love you, dat I'd never hurt  
you?" That was Remy. Who was he talking to? His voice sounded like he was in so much pain.  
  
"Why do you THINK, Remy? Maybe because you're not exactly someone to be trusted! Maybe because Ah have trust issues to begin with? Maybe because Ah have these powers, that won't let me be near anybody, that create a physical barrier between me and the world? God, Remy, can't you see that? This is never going to work!" Rogue almost screamed the last sentence.  
  
"We'll make it work! Haven't you ever heard the sayin', chere, love conquers all?" Kasumi frowned at the short, bitter laugh of the Cajun. "You don't trust me now, neh? But I can make you trust me. Jus' give me a chance, Rogue, just one chance..."  
  
"Ah GAVE you a chance, Remy, and you lied to me! You kept things from me, from the rest of the X-Men...it's too much to forgive! Don't ask me to forgive you, or to forget."  
  
"Rogue, I love you. Dat's all I can give you, my love. An' I don't know how to make you understan' that that's all we need to make it past all dis..."  
  
"Ah can't...Ah can't do this anymore. We just keep goin' 'round in circles, day after day, week after week, month after month...we're not getting anywhere, Gambit. Don't you see? We're just wasting our time."  
  
"When is love ever a waste of time? You an' me, we been through a lot, more dan any couple should  
ever have to go t'rough...but we're still here, neh? We're still together."  
  
"That's why Ah have to break this off right now. Neither of us deserves any more hurt. We've had  
enough for several lifetimes, Remy. I'm setting you free. I'm letting you go."  
  
There was silence after that. Kasumi shifted uncomfortably. She really shouldn't be eavesdropping on such a personal conversation. Oh, poor Remy...and poor Rogue, too. Then, Kasumi heard someone cross the room and stop, presumably in front of the other person. Remy spoke up and broke the tense silence.  
  
"Listen to me, chere. Don't give up on me now. Please, not now." He was almost begging her. Please give him another chance. Kasumi thought to Rogue. Both of you need each other. Can't you see that?   
  
After what seemed like eternity, Rogue answered softly.  
  
"I'm sorry, Remy."   
  
Kasumi managed to dodge into an adjoining room before Rogue walked out and headed for the stairs. Listening through the walls, Kasumi heard nothing but silence in the other room.  
  
"Rogue..." She heard him cry out. Her own tears fell as she shared in his pain.   
  
  
Kasumi's Apartment, night in Japan...  
  
Silence and darkness filled the room.  
  
Aya sat alone on the couch.   
  
It had been a day since Youji left and three since Kasumi. Ken and Omi had said nothing of Youji's strange absence, although Aya was sure that they knew what was going on. They kept themselves busy with the shop, pulling double shifts. Everyone was thankful that Birman hadn't come back to see them since Kasumi disappeared. They weren't sure how they'd explain how another team mate had gone AWOL.  
  
So now, the days went by like the nights. Spent idly waiting for something...anything...to happen.  
  
Aya slowly reached for the violin case on the table in front of him. Carefully opening it and lightly brushing the violin's smooth wooden finish with his fingertips, he wondered where Kasumi and Youji were. A small, selfish part in him wanted to be angry that his two closest friends had left him to deal with the situation alone.   
  
...well, not really alone...  
  
He didn't look up as the door slowly opened and faint light streamed in from the hallway. She slipped in and sat down next to him, reaching out to bring his head to rest on her shoulder.   
  
Sakura said nothing as she held him close. And Aya's dark thoughts faded in the face of the light she had inside of her. Like countless times before, he wondered how a woman like her could love a man like him.   
  
  
At the Mansion...  
  
Kasumi smiled at the faint smell of rain as she looked out at the cloudy night sky. She wondered wistfully what her friends were doing.  
  
...are they missing me?...do they even care at all?...  
  
She sighed, shutting the window close and getting up from the window seat. As she pulled down the thick comforter on her bed to slip under the covers, her eyes narrowed slightly. She quietly slipped out of the room. On bare feet, she walked down the deserted corridors and out the side door into the garage.  
  
Lost in the shadows, she studied the dark figure as he stood by his motorcycle.  
  
"Back so soon?" She asked almost sarcastically. Smiling wickedly as the man's head jerked up in surprise, she emerged from the shadows.  
  
"You've gotten better at sneakin' up on people, kid," Logan said gruffly as he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door.  
  
"The telepathy and mind control helps," she said nonchalantly as she followed him back into the mansion.  
  
"So, that's why you're here. Dontcha go pokin' around in my head now. I've got enough people doin' it and my head's messed up enough as it is."  
  
She said nothing in reply, her lips still curved up in a smirk.  
  
"So, are you going to give her a chance?"  
  
"Give who a chance?"  
  
She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Please... I may not have been around here for long, but it's obvious that that girl...no that woman...has it bad for you. So, why the hell are you pushing her away?"  
  
Logan paused by the stairs, turning to look at her with narrowed eyes. She just looked coolly back at him, not the slightest bit intimidated.  
  
"I'm not good enough for her," he said finally, turning back to go up the stairs.  
  
"Let me be the judge of that."  
  
Logan looked up in surprise to see Jubilee at the head of the stairs. Arms crossed in front of her, she looked down at them. Kasumi smiled. This was her cue to leave. And she slipped away to let the two work it out on their own.  
  
  
The next morning, Kasumi acted as if nothing was different. But, everyone else eyed the new couple curiously. Not that anyone knew they were a couple yet. They were just surprised at Logan's return and the fact that Jubilee was quite calm about it. She was as subdued as she'd been for the past few days. The only difference was the gleam in her eyes and the faint smile on her lips. Her hidden hand was undoubtly clasped in Logan's under the table. Logan, on the other hand, said not a word and answered the questions put to him as briefly as possible, so that finally even Jean gave up on getting anything out of him.  
  
As Kasumi sipped her hot coffee slowly, she wistfully wished that it was Youji who'd made it. She pushed it away and watched another couple from the corner of her eye. Rogue and Remy hadn't changed their usual seats at the table, but the distance between them was obvious to an observant eye. So, they hadn't made up yet. Kasumi sighed softly as she got the sudden urge to make things right for them.  
  
...sheesh, you'd think you were Cupid from the way you were acting...as if your own lovelife isn't screwed up...  
  
She absently spread some butter on her toast as she wondered once more what her friends where doing.   
  
"Kasumi..."   
  
She looked up to smile at the professor.  
  
"Yes, Professor?"  
  
"We only need to work on your control over your powers and we'll be done. It'll probably just take a few more days. By the end of the week, we should be finished. Do you want to stay with us? You can if you want to, you know."  
  
She hesistated, biting her lip and letting her forehead wrinkle in a thoughtful frown.  
  
...stay with them...become an X-man...I'll still be fighting for good and against evil...only in a different way...but, what about my friends?...what about Weib?...  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
"You don't need to decide now, Kasumi," the professor said gently. "But, please consider it an option. We'll be glad to have you here."  
  
She looked around to see everyone nodding in agreement...except for both the distant and the unknown couples. THEY were too intent on either avoiding each other or hiding there feelings from the others. She'd made friends here, too. But, wasn't her place in Japan with Weib? Then again...what if they didn't want or need her back?  
  
  
She sat alone on the end of the dock, her legs dangling over the water as she thought of what she should do...stay or go?  
  
...on one hand, there was Japan and Weib...four young men who she trusted with her life and who in turn trusted her with theirs...sweet and cute Omi...thoughtful and loyal Ken...Aya who she loved as a brother and...Youji...oh, Youji...  
  
She dipped a bare foot into the cold water of the small lake on the Xavier grounds. Her relaxed body posture revealed nothing of her inner turmoil, but her lowered eyes and bitten lower lip said otherwise.  
  
...Ken and Omi were her friends...they trusted her to do the right thing even if they didn't understand why she did it...she hoped that their trust wasn't misplaced...and she knew Aya enough to know that no matter what he'd always be there for her...he was like the brother she never had...he'd never desert her...but, Youji...she didn't know him well enough to know what he was like underneath his playboy, nothing-can-touch-me front...but, she knew one thing...he loved her...at least, he said he did...what if Shuldrich was right?...what if he didn't mean the words...or only saw her as Asuka's replacement?...  
  
...on the other hand, there was the X-men...they were a tight-knit group...she was lucky to have them accept her...each member was unique...some even had as shady a past as she did...yet they trusted each other with their lives, too...  
  
...two different groups...people she trusted...people who trusted her...people who fought for the same thing...a good life for all...but people who fought in different ways with different beliefs...Weib believed in killing those who threatened that good life...the X-men sought to attain that good life through peaceful means...  
  
...an assassin...and a mutant...one and the same in one person...her...and she had to chose...so which path would it be?...  
  
She pretended not to notice as Logan sat down next to her.  
  
"Have you made a choice?"  
  
"That's what it comes down to really. A choice." She turned to face him, her eyes bright with unwept tears. "How can you expect me to chose?"  
  
He pulled her close to give her a brief hug.  
  
"Life is full of choices, Kasumi. Why might not like them...but they remain."  
  
She sniffed, gladly accepting his offered handkerchief.  
  
"I never thought you to be the accepting type, Logan."  
  
"Same with you."  
  
"What do you mean?" She asked as she looked at him with a frown.  
  
"You can always chose to have your cake and eat it, too."  
  
"Sheesh, Logan, you're making as much sense as Hank when he talks about genetics and shit."  
  
"I suppose I should take that as a compliment," he said with a wry smile. "I mean, why are you makin' it difficult for yourself? Why can't you stay with one and keep in touch with the other? I mean look at me."  
  
"Hell, look at you! Are you saying you're life isn't screwed up? You disappear for weeks, if not months, without a word! And when you do come back, you don't offer a word of explaination and just expect people to take you back!" Logan turned away from her and said nothing. What she said was too close to the truth. Hell, it was the truth. "I'm sorry." She said apologetically after an uneasy pause.  
  
"No, you're right. I wonder how Jubilee can stand me."  
  
"She stands you because she loves you."  
  
"And that guy Youji doesn't?" He smiled at the sudden crimson blush that stained her cheeks. "That's what it really comes down to, right? I've met the guy and it's obvious he's crazy about you. He just has a hard time showin' it..."  
  
"Like you."  
  
"Stop changin' the subject, Kasumi. He loves you. You love him. Go back to Japan and stay there."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at that and smirked.  
  
"You act like you don't want me here."  
  
"I don't...I mean I do... Damnit, Kasumi!" He shook his head as she laughed at his discomfort. "...admit it though...I don't think you've ever admitted it to yourself...but you do love him, don't you?"  
  
She stopped laughing and looked off at the trees across the lake to escape his unyielding gaze.  
  
"Yes...I love him."  
  
"Then, you know what you have to do." With that, he stood up. "...How would you like to got to the mall? Take your mind off this for awhile."  
  
"Who's going?" She asked as he helped her to her feet.  
  
"Me, Jubes, and Gumbo."  
  
"Gumbo?"  
  
"Another of that Cajun's names."  
  
"How many does he have?"  
  
"Why dontcha ask him? You're goin' with us right?"  
  
"Alright."  
  
  
Hotel, late evening in New York...  
  
Youji lay on the patched-up cover of his hotel bed, staring up at the dirty white colored ceiling. The hotel wasn't exactly five-star material, but at least it was cheap and clean. He closed his eyes and remembered what he'd seen that afternoon.  
  
He hadn't wanted to just walk up to Kasumi. Maybe Aya was right and she'd want to be alone. And now, though he hated to admit it, Aya'd been right. It wasn't the admission that hurt. It was what he now knew as a result of not listening to his redheaded friend.  
  
He'd been watching idly at the front of the mansion in his rented car when he saw her leave in a jeep with Logan, a young Chinese-American woman, and a slick looking man in a brown trenchcoat.  
  
He trailed them at a safe distance, glad for his experience as a private detective. When they got to the mall, he followed them around, making sure that they wouldn't notice him. Fortunately for him, they didn't. After awhile, he started to be annoyed with the other man wearing the trenchcoat and how Kasumi hung around with him as Logan and the Asian woman walked ahead.  
  
After watching the two of them together, he decided that he'd seen enough. How could he have let her slip through his fingers like that? He felt around for the bottle he'd dropped down next to him on the bed. Opening it, he took another long swig of the alcohol. He felt himself slowly numbing as the alcohol took effect on him. Letting the empty bottle crash to the floor, he let it do its work, numbing himself to the pain of losing Kasumi.  
  
  
Mansion, same evening...  
  
Kasumi jerked up in bed, woken from her sound sleep. She placed a hand to her head, brushing away some unruly locks.  
  
Something wasn't right.  
  
She reached out with her mind, searching for the cause of her distress. She gasped when she found it.  
  
...Youji...  
  
What is he doing here?   
  
She wondered nervously, then salty tears came to her eyes as she felt his pain.   
  
What have I done? How could I've be so foolish?  
  
  
Mansion, next morning...  
  
Kasumi stood in silence at the dock, torn between wanting to go to Youji and staying away to keep from hurting him even more.  
  
"Kasumi."  
  
She turned around to face Rogue with a sad smile and then looked back at the lake. Rogue silently went to her side and for a moment neither spoke.  
  
"No matter how much you push him away, he'll still love you," Kasumi finally said softly.  
  
"Do you love him?"   
  
"No!" Kasumi's eyes widened at the question. "We're just friends. He loves you, not me."  
  
"I don't know..." Rogue sadly shook her head. "...I don't know if I can stand going around and around in circles with him. I love him, but..."  
  
"Isn't love enough?" Kasumi laughed bitterly at that, causing Rogue to look at her in surprise. "I should talk. I pushed away the man I loved and who loved me in return."  
  
"If he really loves you, it won't matter. He'll take you back."  
  
"Are you talking about me or you?"  
  
  
"Are you sure of this?" The professor asked Kasumi. She'd made her decision. Her place was in Japan with Weib...and Youji.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Just remember that you'll always have a place here if you have second thoughts."  
  
"I don't think I will, but thank you."   
  
Then, she turned to hug Jubilee and shake Logan's hand.  
  
"Promise me you'll drop by some time. And bring Jubilee along."  
  
"Just don't introduce her to those guy friends of yours."  
  
"We'll see," she said with a wicked gleam in her eyes.  
  
"Why are they cute?" Jubilee asked to tease Logan. Kasumi nodded.  
  
"Really kawaii(cute)."  
  
"Kawaii?"  
  
"Cute."  
  
"Then, maybe I SHOULD meet them," Jubilee kidded, jabbing the sulky Logan with her elbow.  
  
Kasumi laughed and said goodbye to the others. When she got to Remy, she smiled and gave him a big hug.  
  
"Don't be a stranger, ok?"  
  
The Cajun nodded with a half-hearted smile, still depressed about breaking up with Rogue. She squeezed his hand comfortingly and turned to Rogue. She impulsively hugged the redhead, whispering as she did so.  
  
"Give him another chance."  
  
"We'll see."  
  
Kasumi nodded, satisfied with the woman's answer. She'd done what she could. She hoped it would work out for them. Turning back, she saw her taxi at the gate.  
  
"Well, I should go now. I have a promise to keep."  
  
  
New York Airport, that afternoon...  
  
Kasumi sighed. Tapping her foot in impatience, she waited as the fat woman ahead of her in line chattered with the harrassed airline clerk. She idly studied the woman's floral dress with its loud orange shades and bright purple flowers. She repressed her smirk and smiled instead as the woman left to harass a passing steward on his way to the plane.  
  
"Good afternoon, Miss Malenkov. I hope you'll have a pleasant flight."  
  
"Thank you." She smiled as the clerk returned her ticket.  
  
She slipped the ticket into her purse and entered the plane, nodding at the smiling stewardess by the airplane door. Having been directed to her seat, she made her way towards it.   
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," she murmured softly as she bumped into someone in the narrow aisle.  
  
"No, it's alright. My fau..."   
  
The man turned to face her and she looked at him in shock.  
  
"Youji..."  
  
* Dontcha just HATE cliffhanger endings? I do. VI coming soon! 


	6. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: Don't own Weib, don't own X-men, do own Kasumi. (But a girl can dream about owning certain kawaii guys...right?)  
  
Characters:  
Japan:  
Weib, good assassin group out to rid Japan of its scum -  
Aya Fujimiya (real name: Ran) - katana-weilding redhead  
Youji Kudou - wire-handling blonde with green eyes  
Ken Hidaka - tiger-claw user with brown hair and eyes  
Omi Tsukiyono - arrows/bow gun/darts user with blonde hair and blue eyes  
Persia - leader of Weib  
Birman - Persia's secretary  
Kasumi Minamoto - acrobatic assassin who uses a stiletto and twin admantium fans  
  
Sakura - a young woman with a past involving Weib; she has a striking resemblance to Aya's younger comatose sister, Aya-chan, as well as, a crush on the really kawaii redhead  
Amiko - Logan's adopted daugther  
  
America:  
X-men, good mutants under Charles Xavier -  
Charles Xavier - telepath and founder of the group  
Wolverine - healing powers and admantium claws; due to healing powers and suffered trauma, his past is unclear and his true age unknown; known only as Logan  
Jubilee - Wolvie's sidekick; power: energy paffs  
Gambit - Cajun; power: energy-charging objects, usually his playing cards  
Rogue - Gambit's off-and-on girlfriend; power: absorbing others powers/memories thru touch, flight, super-strength  
  
Retribution VI  
  
"Youji," she repeated, smiling weakly. He didn't say anything, just stared at her in shock.  
  
"Hey, move it willya!" The haughty American behind them shouted in annoyance.  
  
"Sorry," she muttered and looked at Youji uneasily as he finally turned and headed for his seat.  
  
She followed suit and having found her chair by a window, she sat done distractedly. The same thoughts were going over and over in her mind.  
  
...I can't believe he's here...I can't believe he's here...  
  
...how da hell did we manage to get on the same flight? a coincidence...yes...no...shit...I knew I shouldn't have let Logan buy my ticket...he probably set the whole thing up...the bastard...  
  
Still, a smile twitched on her lips.   
  
...He's here! And he doesn't look mad...shocked yes, but mad no...damnit, calm down, girl...you're acting like a teenage girl with a crush...shit...what if he won't speak to me...  
  
She looked up in annoyance when her seatmate plopped down on his seat rather ungracefully. But, the annoyance quickly turned to panic as she noticed the familiar features half-hidden by blonde hair as the young man shoved his backpack under the seat in front of him. When he finally looked up, he froze at the sight of her.  
  
"We really should stop, bumping into each other like this..." She said with a weak laugh that he didn't share as he just sat and stared at her. "...then again, it might be fate."  
  
"What are you doing here?" He finally said, his facial expression unreadable.  
  
"What?!? This is my seat, so of course, I'm here."  
  
"No. Why are you on this plane?" She gave him a strange look.   
  
"Maybe because I'm headed for the same place you are," she said sarcastically.  
  
"What about that guy?"  
  
"What guy?" She asked, exasperated. Couldn't guys EVER make sense and talk straight for once.  
  
"That trenchcoat guy." She blushed as she realized who he meant.  
  
"Oh...that guy."  
  
"Yes, that guy. ...He didn't dump you did he?" He asked with a dangerous gleam in his eye.  
  
"No."  
  
"You dumped him?" Was she imagining the faint tone of hope in his voice?  
  
"No. ...I was never going out with him in the first place. I mean I WAS dating you the last time I checked. Do you think I'm some cheap, two-timing slut?" She tried to look outraged, but failed as she saw his face light up.  
  
Before she could continue, he pulled her close to him and kissed her. Not a chaste, we're-just-friends kiss. Not a we're-still-dating kiss. But, a real I'm-truly-madly-deeply-in-love-with-you kind of kiss.  
  
When they finally stopped for air, she looked at him dazed and flushed while he spoke.  
  
"Don't you ever leave me like that again!"   
  
"If you kiss like that, I don't think I'll want too."  
  
Wouldn't she just love to wipe off that smug look on his face... Well, there were ways...  
  
And she pulled him to her for another kiss.  
  
  
Epilogue -  
  
Spring, Saturday morning...  
  
A sleepy couple sat on the park bench in the early morning light. It had been another late night of kicking Schwarz ass. With Shuldrich recovered, the bastards were at it again. But, now that Weib had a better-trained telepath and mind controller, it evened out things between the two groups.  
  
Kasumi stifled a yawn as she snuggled closer to Youji. She'd managed to yank him out of bed...admittedly with a few complaints...so that they could watch the sun rise together. Having watched it, the two remained on the bench. Both were too comfortable to move and head for work at the shop.  
  
"Logan and Jubilee are getting married a few weeks from now. We're invited of course," she remarked casually.  
  
"So, she got him to settle down, huh?"  
  
"She wouldn't have it any other way."  
  
"How about that trenchcoat guy and his girl?"  
  
"Rogue's given him another chance. I just hope he doesn't screw it up this time."  
  
"Sheesh, there must really be something to that 'love in the spring' idea. Aya and Sakura are practically joined to the hip nowadays. I never knew he could be such a basket case when a girl was around."  
  
"Not just any girl," she said, jabbing him with her elbow. "Sakura's a nice girl. They deserve each other."  
  
"I suppose. Then, there's Ken. He's still dating Amiko. I hope he knows what he's getting himself into. Logan's gonna slaughter him if he hurts her."  
  
"Oh, Logan's not that bad."  
  
"No, he's worse." She rolled her eyes.  
  
"You know I can't believe what's happened to Omi. I think you must have contaminated..."  
  
"What do you mean contaminated?" She shook her head in disbelief at his innocent expression.  
  
"...him with your playboy ways. He's dating so many girls even I don't know all of them."  
  
"Maybe so." He shrugged. "But, he's REALLY following my footsteps. It's obvious that he's got a big crush on that girl Cali."  
  
"The tall, wild one?" He nodded while she sighed softly. "The days really go by so fast."  
  
Her gaze unconsciously shifted to study a middle-aged couple and their two children as they flew a big, blue and yellow kite. She smiled at the happy sight. He immediately noticed and asked hesitantly.  
  
"Kasumi...would you like...you know...marriage...kids...a house...a steady job?"  
  
She looked up at him in mild surprise.   
  
"I never really thought about it...but, I suppose I would like that..."   
  
His face fell. He knew that he couldn't give her those things. Not now. Weib's job was far from over. There were still people out there who'd do anything to destroy the peaceful life, which Weib had sworn to protect. She reached out and lightly touched him on the cheek so that he'd look at her.   
  
"But, not now...maybe someday... right now...I have everything I want right here."  
  
* Alright people, I posted this the same time as the previous part, so no flames, ok! I know the title only matches the first part, but I couldn't think of a new one. And I know you're wondering when it turned from an action thing to a senti one. Don't ask me. I don't know. Kasumi and Youji must have done it when I wasn't looking. loud laughter from a couple who'd just been making out Hmph...some people really...  
  
Kasumi: Is that the end? You mean I won't appear anymore? trembling lip comes into play  
  
Youji: Trin, how can you do this to us? I mean I finally meet a girl who I like and you're gonna stop it so soon?  
  
Trin: 6 parts is nothing to sneeze about, Kudou. And they were pretty long, too.  
  
Kasumi: But, I wanna get married...and have kids...and a big house... tears start falling  
  
Youji: ... turns pale - he was definitely NOT thinking about that  
  
Trin: Well, I MIGHT write another one...if people will PLEASE review my work...hint, hint...hehehe...  
  
Youji: ... faints  
  
Kasumi: Youji? Youji, are you alright?  



End file.
